China not the source of oil spill

By Li Xinran  |   2008-7-15  |     ONLINE EDITION

THE oil spill in northeast China's Heilongjiang River did not originate in China, the national environmental watchdog said today.

China has urged Russia to disclose the source, the safety measures it has taken and the effect the spill might have, a senior official in the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.

Russia informed China of the oil spill in Heilongjiang River last Tuesday. A Chinese task force was dispatched immediately to monitor and investigate.

Oil was found on Wednesday in Jiayin County and had moved to Luobei County by Friday.

It was found in Tongjiang City on Saturday before leaving China's borders.

No petrol chemical plants, land pollution sources or ships had leaked oil upstream in China, the official said.

"We have excluded the possibility that China caused the spill," the official said.

The pollution had not affected local life as the government had taken measures to block and absorb the pollutants, the official said.

The ministry met Russian diplomats on Thursday and urged Russia to give China information on the issue, according to the official.

China will keep touch with Russia over the control and monitoring of the water quality in the Heilongjiang River, the official said.