On January 31st at 4:40 am, a tanker truck carrying 33.5 tons of crude benzene overturned and leaked in Lingling District, Yongzhou, Hunan. Relevant authorities arrived late at 7 am claiming to immediately start handling the situation, but surprisingly used water to wash the crude benzene, causing it to flow into the sewer and explode.
Zhongxiu stated that afterwards they “built 7 dams” to intercept the rainwater pipes and streams through which the leaked pollution flowed, and carried out cleanup and transfer of pollutants. Although the leaked crude benzene had already flowed into nearby rivers and Xiao Water, Zhongxiu claimed that the water quality of the tap water plant was “safe and controllable.” However, in the following days, netizens continuously posted videos claiming that the wastewater produced by this crude benzene leak was being transported to a sewage treatment plant in Lengshuitan District and stored “out in the open.” There was an odor at the scene, and nearby were vegetable fields and residents, who worried that air pollution could harm human health. When Zhongxiu ecological environment bureau staff were questioned by reporters, they were vague and said that the emergency pool was indeed an open-air pool, but it would not cause pollution, “We haven’t worn masks while handling it these days, so there shouldn’t be any problem.”
Zhongxiu is trying to downplay the heat of the benzene leak incident. In notices since February, they did not mention the amount leaked, the water flow area affected by the pollution, or the dam locations, nor did they provide response measures for ordinary citizens—only a statement “Trust the Party and government, do not believe or spread rumors.” Rural residents are also left unaware of whether groundwater can still be used, what measures can be taken to ensure drinking water safety (such as advising residents within the leak area not to drink their groundwater directly), or future response strategies (such as ongoing soil, air, and water monitoring, and building tap water supplies for residents within the leak area). Many netizens who exposed this incident in Yongzhou were restricted from commenting, while videos that Zhongxiu promoted, which glossed over the government’s evasive attitude towards the problem, were widely circulated. The video title straightforwardly states “Avoiding the problem is not the worst choice,” beginning with the claim that although benzene is a Class 1 carcinogen, long-term exposure is not an issue, and even concluding that Yongzhou, unlike big cities, does not restrict hazardous chemicals during transportation, thus should be “praised” for taking on the risks. But in reality, having normal tap water quality does not mean there is no danger; benzene degrades over months or even years after leaking into groundwater and soil. In 2014, Lanzhou experienced localized benzene exceeding standards in tap water, with investigations linking it to a petroleum leak from 30 years prior. Regarding the so-called “avoiding the problem is not the worst choice,” considering another benzene leak incident in Yongzhou in March 2024, the local government is not a “small city that doesn’t know how to handle hazardous chemicals,” but rather shows disregard for public health and is unwilling to make efforts to address the issue, leading to repeated accidents. The evasive attitude of Zhongxiu officials is precisely a way to protect their positions, which should not be “praised” but condemned. Of course, this attitude is also rooted in the bureaucratic monopoly of the bourgeoisie.
【Sleepyhead News 861】Yongzhou Benzene Leak, Avoiding the Problem Is Not the Worst Choice