China’s Lead Balloon

News from China today reminds us of the entrenched problems that nation still has to overcome to be taken seriously as an environmentally responsible country.

According to Beijing papers, pollution from a smelting operation sickened hundreds of citizens of Xinsi and Moba, two towns located in northwest China. At least 879 persons have been reported to have some degree of lead poisoning.

Unfortunately, these types of disasters occur far too often in China. A year earlier farmers and officials inZhejiang  province clashed over polluted wastewater from a local battery factory. That incident sickened at least 700 kids.

China’s laws on pollution are on par with much of the Western world’s. However, the Chinese EPA is undermanned, and audits, we hear, are uncommon. That’s a recipe for disaster, and they’ve got the results to prove it.

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About Mike

Mike Buetow is president of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (pcea.net). He previously was editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly magazine, the leading publication for electronics manufacturing, and PCD&F, the leading publication for printed circuit design and fabrication. He spent 21 years as vice president and editorial director of UP Media Group, for which he oversaw all editorial and production aspects. He has more than 30 years' experience in the electronics industry, including six years at IPC, an electronics trade association, at which he was a technical projects manager and communications director. He has also held editorial positions at SMT Magazine, community newspapers and in book publishing. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois. Follow Mike on Twitter: @mikebuetow

One thought on “China’s Lead Balloon

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