Inside China Today

Outbreak of lead poisoning in Jiangsu province

Over forty children from Xinshanhe Village in Pizhou city in Jiangsu province have been diagnosed with lead poisoning. Locals claim that these are the results of polluted air pumped out by a local lead alloy company. It severely contaminates the air of villages around the factory. Villages also claim that they have been stopped from taking their children to Beijing for treatment and that the company in question is being protected by local communist officials due to the large amount of tax it pays.

Mr Hwang from Xinshanhe village says that he took his child to Beijing for a medical checkup in the beginning of the month on two occasions, and both times he was forcibly taken back home by Beijing officials and Chunxin personnel. He says they were then beaten. He says that this has happened to other people around the village. They have been prohibited from getting treatment in Beijing. They are restricted by local officials to receive treatment in Nanjing.

ChunXin Alloy Corporation has been operating for 20 years, and the polluted air extracted from its factories have caused many illnesses to residents in the region as well as agricultural losses. Mr Zhou also from Xinshanhe village says that there are dozens of people in the villages around him suffering from lead poisoning, especially children. He says that the fumes coming from the factory have a high lead content that falls into the water causing contamination of the water. This is then consumed by residents.

Mr Huang told reporters that Chunxin illegally took over acres of farmland to in order to expand its factory, and forced farmers to sign away their land. These farmers who have lost their lands and livelihood only managed to get back a few hundred dollars in compensation last year after years of trying.