Ningde, May 9 (China News Service) (Lv Qiaoqin and Ye Mao) The pungent smell of chemical raw materials and the stench of garbage are intertwined, and the black stream flows around the village. The sewage mixed with the stream water gathers into a black sewage pool and is injected into the sea through the downstream control gate... This is what the reporter saw in Yantian She Ethnic Township, Xiapu County, Ningde, Fujian. The head of the Ningde Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said in an interview with China News Service on the 9th that an investigation will be conducted. If the situation is true, the company will be ordered to make rectifications.

Yantian She Ethnic Township, located in the west of Xiapu County, has a coastline of 25.3 kilometers, 108,000 mu of shallow sea mudflats, rich aquatic resources, and is a famous land of fish and rice. In 1994, it was rated as a "Model Ethnic Township for National Unity and Progress in China" by the State Council. The territory is inhabited by She, Hui and Han ethnic groups.

The stream is as black as ink and emits a foul smell

On the 8th, a reporter from China News Service drove to Yantian She Nationality Township. When the vehicle arrived near Yantian Township, he smelled a pungent chemical smell in the air along the way, which was either thick or thin. He also saw several large chimneys with "thick smoke" standing tall in the distance. The synthetic leather factory industrial park covering an area of more than 1,000 acres stood among the houses.

Entering the village, the reporter walked forward along a stream surrounding the industrial park. The stream water was as black as ink, and oil film-like objects floated on the surface of the stream, dotted with stars. Several small sewage outlets beside the stream were flowing out strange-colored sewage. Various plastic packaging bags of fertilizers, pesticides, and washing powder, as well as various garbage such as leather waste and foam boxes, floated on the surface of the stream and emitted a foul smell.

Walking into the park, the smell of chemical raw materials, the smell of rotten garbage, and the pungent smell of unknown odors... Various unpleasant smells in the air mixed together, making the reporter dizzy.

"The stream used to be very clear, with spring water flowing down from the mountains. Since the leather factory came, the stream water has turned black, and the surrounding beach environment has also suffered great damage." A villager surnamed Chen from Yantian Township said that there used to be a lot of wild perch, jumping fish, shrimp fry, crab fry, sand clams, etc. on the beach, and the rich aquatic products were enviable; but now there are almost none, and people dare not eat it when they hear that it is Yantian seafood.

The villager told reporters that he used to be engaged in breeding and purchasing, and could purchase about 200,000 shrimp fry, crab fry and other seafood in one day. Several people could earn two to three thousand yuan a day in partnership; now they can only receive about 1,000 at most a day, and the loss is huge, so they have to switch to transportation.

Sewage gathers in ponds and flows into the sea

"These black sewage eventually gather in a large pond not far away, where the pollution is more serious and smellier." Chen, a villager who did not want to reveal his specific name, said that the fishermen near the sewage outlet have been living under the stench for many years, "It's really a disaster!".

Under the guidance of the villager, the reporter walked down the black stream and found the big pond he pointed out in front of two dirty culverts. What appeared before the reporter was: the pond of thousands of square meters had become a black sewage pool, with pieces of oily film and foamy objects floating on the water surface swaying slightly, with oil and leather mixed in; in front of the pond, several large pipes were discharging black sewage; and the sewage flowed through a slightly raised wooden gate and poured into the nearby sea.

"When the tide is high, the gate will open to let the seawater in; when the tide is low, the black sewage will flow out with the seawater, and the surrounding mudflats will be black at that time." Uncle Lian, a fisherman who lives near the sewage outlet and makes a living by mining oysters, revealed after repeatedly confirming the reporter's identity that the gate will also be opened when it rains heavily, and it is usually opened once every 7-8 days to discharge sewage.

7 years of stench and becoming ecological refugees

During the reporter's visit, it was learned that after the synthetic leather pollution occurred, not only the local environment was severely damaged, but the production and life of fishermen were also greatly affected. The local relevant departments have "rectified" it several times, but the leather pollution is still rampant for 7 years.

According to the fisherman Mr. Yang, the fishermen living at the sewage outlet have made a living by fishing and mining oysters for generations. Around 2005, Yantian Township introduced 7 synthetic leather factories, and leather pollution broke out. The shrimp seedlings, razor clam seedlings, and clam seedlings that the fishermen depend on for survival have disappeared in large numbers, the beach environment has been destroyed and cannot be cultivated, and they have to live and produce in a smelly environment every day.

"When I sleep at night, it stinks when the windows are open, and it's uncomfortable to sleep with the quilt covering my head. I often can't sleep all night. It's even worse in the summer, because it stinks and there are many flies." Uncle Lian said that when it rains, the smoke emitted from the chimneys in the factory area cannot rise to the sky, and it blows into the village, and the whole village is filled with gray smoke. "I thought I would get used to it after smelling it, but after so many years, I feel dizzy whenever I smell this smell."

Now, Uncle Lian and his wife need to walk to the beach 15 kilometers away to cultivate oysters, and then pick the oysters back for mining, while his children have all gone out to work.

"I hope the government can really rectify it and restore the ecological environment here so that we can live a normal life." Uncle Lian said.

Experts explain leather pollution

Regarding the phenomenon in Yantian Township, marine environmental experts told reporters that leather making is a complex physical and chemical process involving hundreds of chemicals. The discharged wastewater is not only large in volume but also complex in composition, containing a large amount of harmful substances such as lime, dyes, ammonia nitrogen, sulfides, and fur. During the production process, the surfactants used are discharged into the wastewater, which is not only difficult to remove, but also affects the growth of various organisms.

In addition, heavy metal complexes are also used in the leather making process. Some of them are discharged into the natural environment with leather making waste. These pollutants will be enriched in marine organisms through the food chain and are difficult to degrade. Some toxic substances are transformed and accumulated in seafood, which will cause serious damage to the health of consumers.

On the afternoon of the 9th, the reporter called Liu Jianhua, director of the Ningde Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. Liu Jianhua said that he would organize the relevant departments of Xiapu County to conduct an on-site investigation. If the situation is true, environmental remediation will be carried out and the company will be ordered to rectify within a time limit.

Plastic Industry Video