China admits pollution-linked 'cancer villages'

[The Straight Story]

China's environment ministry has acknowledged the existence of "cancer villages", several years after widespread speculation first began that polluted areas were seeing a higher incidence of the disease.

The use of the term in an official report, thought to be unprecedented, comes as authorities face growing discontent over industrial waste, hazardous smog and other environmental and health consequences after years of rapid development.

"Poisonous and harmful chemical materials have brought about many water and atmosphere emergencies... certain places are even seeing 'cancer villages'," said a five-year plan that was highlighted this week.

The report did not elaborate on the phenomenon, which has no technical definition but gained prominence in domestic and foreign media after a Chinese journalist posted a map in 2009 pinpointing dozens of such "cancer villages".

But the ministry acknowledged that in general China uses "poisonous and harmful chemical products" that are banned in developed countries and "pose long-term or potential harm to human health and the ecology".

http://www.france24.com/en/20130222-china-admits-pollution-linked-cancer-villages

[JaneyVee]

1. THIS cannot be healthy for human consumption

[think]

3. Absolutely horrific.

My heart goes out to the people who must live in such conditions.

[think]

2. Communist China admits "cancer Villages". Meanwhile back in the land of the free

Big Fashion Brands Hide Toxic Pollution Scandal in China
December 6, 2012
12:48 PM

BEIJING - December 6 - Greenpeace International investigations have revealed dumping of industrial waste water with a wide range of hazardous substances from two Industrial Zones located in China’s most important textile manufacturing base.

The investigations were published today in a report “Toxic Threads: Putting Pollution on Parade”, which details how facilities, some of which produce textiles for major high street brands including Levi’s and Calvin Klein and GAP, are exploiting complex wastewater systems to hide scrutiny of their manufacturing processes.

“Of all the factories we have been to over the past few years, we have never before seen such large-scale pollution. The samples of wastewater taken on site have proven to be some of the most toxic testing results we have seen throughout our campaigning. This pollution must be stopped,” says Yifang Li, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia....

~Snip~

“Many international brands, such as Levi’s, source their products from facilities within such Industrial Zones, yet identifying whether individual suppliers are responsible for releasing hazardous substances in their effluent is almost impossible. This provides a convenient smokescreen for unacceptable environmental practices at individual facilities, including the use and discharge of hazardous chemicals, by the global textile industry,” said Li....

~Snip~

Full article:
https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/12/06-0