Environment

China Blacklists Polluting Factories

by Barbara McPherson | February 15, 2010 at 10:46 am

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Greenpeace has qualified praise for China's action in blacklisting five polluting factories in Guangdong province. The factories in this important economic zone were adding to the pollution load of the Pearl River. Three of the five companies blacklisted were named by Greenpeace in their report Poisoning the Pearl. Those companies named by Chinese authorities and also by Greenpeace as polluters are: Qingyuan Top Dragon, Wing Fung P.C. Board, and Techwise Qingyuan Circuit.
While it is unclear how the naming of these companies will alleviate the pollution of the Pearl River, greater scrutiny and economic pressure may be brought to bear.

However, being blacklisted means greater scrutiny on these companies and their industrial discharges which could in the future translate to deadlines by the government for the companies to stop polluting the Pearl River Delta. This is a warning to the factories and it may also affect the company's financial status in terms of ability to launch a stock market listing or apply for a loan.

Qingyuan Top Dragon Textile Co., Ltd in Qingyuan City
Wing FungP.C. Board Co., Ltd in Shenzhen
Techwise Qingyuan Circuit

All five factory complexes were dumping wastewater containing chemicals with proven or suspected hazardous properties. Some of these toxic chemicals include high levels of heavy metals such as beryllium, copper and manganese. Manganese has been linked to brain damage. Greenpeace also found organic chemicals such as brominated flame retardants and bisphenol-A.
Hormone disrupting alkyl phenols - some of which are listed in the EU priority hazardous substances list, were also present.
A number of these hazardous substances are not yet regulated in China. Samples from one of the sites, Kingboard Fogang, contained beryllium at 25 times the levels allowed by local regulations. Samples from Wing Fung Printed Circuit Board Ltd. contained copper at 12 times the maximum allowable limit.

Millions of people are forced to use the Pearl River for their household water supply.

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Gerard Lanson (not verified)

at 02:44 on March 9th, 2010

I am quite surprised by the statement above, not on the fact that these companies are doing something wrong, but in the fact that you are limiting this report to this part of China. I am pretty experience in the industry of Printed Circuit Boards, and I can tell you that ALL factories based along a river, a lake , will have the same impact. You can go in Thailand, in Cambodgia, in Vietnam, but even more, in UK, in Germany, in France, and you will find the same problems. Even the so called Green Companies are polluting adjacent rivers...