Company caught releasing acidic solution into river in Beijing(2)

Nearly one hundred buckets of concentrated sulfuric acid were seized at the plant by police officers on April 12. (Photo source: Legal Evening News)

Hong said he and other local residents have been suffering from irritant gas released from the plant that burns the residue of waste with sulfuric acid.

Pollutants discharged by the company have contributed to the deaths of trees along the banks of Yongding River, according to Hong.

The investigation found that a solution of decomposed waste was taken out and discharged secretly in sewer lines by a tank truck dispatched from the plant on several nights. A sample of the solution was tested as highly acidic material.

After the case was reported to the municipal environment protection department, a campaign jointly launched by the green agency and security department was carried out between April 8 and 12.

A tank truck with six tons of strong acidic solution on board was seized in a police raid last Saturday.

At the plant, a drainage ditch hidden under iron plates was found. The pipeline linking Yongding River was built to release pollutants directly into the river.

National regulations say illegal discharging and dumping of dangerous materials weighting over three tons can constitute a crime of polluting the environment.

Operations at the company have been suspended, and further investigation is still underway.