Toxic spill reaches Russian city

A toxic spill from a chemical plant explosion in China reached the Russian city of Khabarovsk today, a regional government official said.

The anxiously awaited slick, which extends for 110 miles, has entered the city limits, said Natalya Zimina, a spokeswoman for the regional administration.

She added that pollution levels were within the norm and water supplies to the city of 580,000 would be maintained.

“The spill has arrived in the city. Tests have confirmed the presence of nitrobenzene in the water. But the concentration does not exceed the maximum acceptable levels and we are not planning to switch off the water supply in Khabarovsk,” she told The Associated Press.

On November 13, a chemical plant explosion in China’s north-east spewed 100 tons of benzene, nitrobenzene and other toxins into the Songhua River, causing the city of Harbin to shut down running water to 3.8 million people for five days.

The slick has been floating downriver since mid-November and entered Russian territory last week.