China ponders dam to block toxic slick

China is thinking of building a temporary dam to stop a toxic slick caused by a chemical-plant explosion from poisoning the water in a Russian city downstream, the official China Daily says.

In the same article, it reports the apparent suicide of an official responsible for work safety and environmental protection in Jilin, the Chinese city where the blast occurred on Nov. 13.

Vice-mayor Wang Wei "was found dead at home" on Tuesday, it says.

The article, posted on the newspaper's English-language website, does not say how he died. But it notes that Tuesday was the day the government set up a special team to investigate the explosion and "vowed to mete out severe punishment to those responsible."


FROM DEC. 3, 2005: Chinese cities prepare for toxic water

The explosion sent about 100 tonnes of benzene into the Songhua River, which flows toward China's border with Siberia. Officials have already been forced to cut off water supplies to millions of Chinese as the slick moves downstream.

The China Daily newspaper said the proposed dam would block a slow-moving waterway between two rivers rather than attempting to hold back the flow of an entire river.


FROM NOV. 30, 2005: Benzene slick heads for Russia as Chinese told water is safe

It said the waterway threatens to carry contaminated water to an intake at Khabarovsk, a Russian city of 580,000. Russia put forward the idea of a dam, it said.

"On Tuesday, the Ministry of Water Resources sent an expert panel to Jiamusi to study the possibility of building the dam," the newspaper said.

I wonder if they have enough time to do so. This is a nation full of terrific accidents now and then.

This is a nation full of terrific (terrific 是棒極了的意思,我想你指的是TERRIBLE) accidents now and then

I wonder why there have been so many mishaps recently.name one; mining casualaties come after one another...  I thought and thought, the only thing is  that the government doesn't cherish the lives of people; in another word, they thought there are too many people in China,  and the people don't have enough of recognition of human rights, because the cheap labour, if you don't do it, there are lots of other people to do it... pursuing the developement of economy blindly is the root of problems, because the techiques or the equipment doesn't meet the requirement, These accidents must happen, sooner or later. ok, if it happens, we  should take a lesson, however; it keeps happening...What a disappointment!  In China, if a mishap happens, they just report the toll of casualty, later on it seems nothing happened. However, in Canada, if one person missing, sometimes you can hear news keeping tracing for a long time until it has a final result... Human rights... When will China reach the same level?

The above is just my personal opinion, if there is any incorrection, please point out...

[QUOTE=montrealer]This is a nation full of terrific (terrific 是棒極了的意思,我想你指的是TERRIBLE) accidents now and then[/QUOTE]

terrific ----(Oxford advanced learner's dictionary of current English) = adj. 1. causing fear, terrible. 2. (colloq) very great, extreme: "driving at a terrific pace."

terrific ---- (Concise oxford dictionary) = adj. 1. colloq, a. of great size or intensity. b. excellent "did a terrific job." c. excessive "making a terrific noise" 2. causing terror

terrific -----(Macquqrie dictionary) = adj. 1. causing terror; terrifying. 2. (colloquial), very great, intense, etc -----terrific speed. 3. (colloquial) very good, terrific food.  

terrific -----(新英漢詞典）= adj. 1. 可怕的，可怖的，駭人的，a terrific hurricane = 可怕的颶風. 2. （口）極大的，極度的，非常的，at a terrific speed = 以極高速度. 3. (美俚語）極妙的， 了不起，a terrific view all the way to the scenic spot = 到那風景區途中一路上奇妙的景色.


For sure, I reckon I could have used "terrible" instead, but I deliberately chose "terrific" to reinforce the "sarcasm". I was a-fraid of my post being removed by the strict and insensible censorship in this forum if I used "horrific". Now you forced me to say it out and face the possible risk of being kicked out.  [:816:]

I don't know where (in which country) you live. At least in Canada, terrific is frequently used in daily life and in most cases it is used in expressing something positive. for example, people say, Montreal is terrific, which means Montreal is more than wonderful.  Anyway, it is your bussiness to use any word you think right. I don't care.

[QUOTE=montrealer]I don't know where (in which country) you live. At least in Canada, terrific is frequently used in daily life and in most cases it is used in expressing something positive. for example, people say, Montreal is terrific, which means Montreal is more than wonderful.  Anyway, it is your bussiness to use any word you think right. I don't care.[/QUOTE]

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Thanks again for your terrific voice.

Anyway, I agree with you 100 %, in most cases, it is used in a positive way. Thanks for your tip, as it is terrific indeed! Enjoy your skiing there.  [:814:]

Thanks or your terrific answer.

Please don't mention it at all. You are truly a terrific bloke. Well, it is absolutely gay! [:460:] hahaha

It is not easy to build a dam specially now during low temperature winter, the river surface froze tightly the water freezes easily. I would like to suggest them building removable pump stations downstream to pump contaminated water out of the river may more practical than a dam.

[QUOTE=njtianbei]It is not easy to build a dam specially now during low temperature winter, the river surface froze tightly the water freezes easily. I would like to suggest them building removable pump stations downstream to pump contaminated water out of the river may more practical than a dam.[/QUOTE]

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hahaha, holy-moly, a terrific idea indeed! I would ask you a "silly" question -----where do you think they should pump the poisoned water to?

My suggestion is to let these culprits and their families drink the water up. These currupted officials deserve no mercy but ....

A same question for building a dam and pumping the water out ,where the poisoned water go after a dam would be built there? I guess what they have been trying is to stop such terrific trouble flowing to downstream of our old Russia bother.

[QUOTE=njtianbei]A same question for building a dam and pumping the water out ,where the poisoned water go after a dam would be built there? I guess what they have been trying is to stop such terrific trouble flowing to downstream of our old Russia bother.[/QUOTE]

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I think they should use the other chemical stuff to neutralize it. It will cost more to pump water than to build a dam.