Chinese chemical company boss loses job over toxic spill

The head of a Chinese chemical company blamed for a toxic spill that poisoned a major river and strained relations with Russia has been removed from his post, the company said today.

The announcement came as the spill of benzene on the Songhua River flowed toward the north-eastern city of Jiamusi, which shut down a water plant on Friday as a precaution against contamination. The slick is due to reach Jiamusi tomorrow, followed by the Russian city of Khabarovsk next Sunday.

Yu Li, general manager of Jilin Petrochemical Company, was the second major figure to lose his job over the disaster after the resignation on Friday of the director of China’s environmental protection agency.

There has been no sign of possible punishment for Communist Party officials who were accused of trying to conceal the spill, the element of the disaster that has prompted the most public anger in China.

Yu was among managers who “had responsibility” for the November 13 accident, said a report on oilnews.com.cn, run by China National Petroleum, which owns Jilin Petrochemical. Five people were killed in the explosion in the city of Jilin.

The spill forced a five-day shutdown in running water for 3.8 million people in the industrial centre of Harbin. Other communities that rely on the Songhua for drinking water also have suspended water service.

Despite his dismissal, the report said Yu also was credited with minimising injuries and helping investigators. It didn’t say whether he would leave the company or face any criminal charges.

A man who answered the phone in the CNPC secretary’s office and gave his name only as Division Chief Dai confirmed Yu was removed as general manager but wouldn’t give more information.

The manager of the benzene facility at the Jilin plant, Shen Dongming, and a boss of a safety workshop, Wang Fang, also were removed from their posts.

The government blamed the accident on human error in a tower that processed benzene, a potentially cancer-causing compound used in making plastic, detergents and other products.

The disaster prompted Chinese leaders to issue an unusual apology to the Chinese public and to Moscow. China has tried to repair relations with Russia by sending 150 tons of activated carbon to Khabarovsk for use in water-treatment facilities.