Mayor apologized over lead poisoning incident

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-18 11:14

The mayor of Baoji ciy, in Northwest China's Shannxi province apologized Monday to local villagers and promised to shut down the factory which sickened many of their children by lead poisoning, the Beijing News reported Tuesday.

Dai Zhengshe, the mayor, along with the chief of the local environmental bureau, went to the factory area of Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Co., in Maodaokou village, Fengxiang county, and promised to the villagers to pay for the medication for all the victims, and will also cover the fee of their relocation.

Fengxiang county is under the jurisdiction of Baoji city.

Of the 166 serious cases diagnosed with lead levels of more than 250 mg per liter of blood - normal levels range from zero to 100 mg per liter - 154 were hospitalized.