The Stream, March 16: PetroChina Should Pay $16 Million for Water Pollution

The Global Rundown

A report found PetroChina responsible for drinking water contamination in Lanzhou, China last year, while government testing found 75 percent of drinking water sources in Pakistan are unsafe for human consumption. Officials in Tuvalu worry about water and food supplies in the wake of Cyclone Pam, Russian communities struggle with a shrinking Lake Baikal, and Washington and Oregon declare drought emergencies. Australia found a destructive plant disease, spread through water, on a Queensland banana farm.

“Welcome to the era of water wars in Russia. Water is becoming the country’s most valuable resource.”–Alexander Kolotov, Russian coordinator of Rivers Without Boundaries, on declining water levels in Lake Baikal that are increasing tensions between communities that rely on it for fishing, hydropower, and water supplies. (Reuters)

By The Numbers

75 percent Drinking water sources in Pakistan that are unsafe for human consumption, according to testing done in 24 major cities by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources. The Express Tribune

45 percent Tuvalu population that was displaced by Cyclone Pam over the weekend. The cyclone caused flooding and officials are worried about supplies of water and food. Radio New Zealand International

$420 million Value of Australia’s banana industry, which is under threat after the discovery of the destructive Panama disease on a farm in Queensland. The plant disease can spread through contaminated water. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

PetroChina should pay $US 16 million for polluting drinking water in Lanzhou with benzene last year, according to an environmental impact report released by the city’s Environmental Protection Bureau. The report found that outdated water supply equipment also contributed to the incident. The Wall Street Journal

On The Radar

The governors of Washington state and Oregon are both declaring drought emergencies in regions of their states due to snowpack conditions that are near record lows. Reuters; OregonLive

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek