Report on mainland China's soil pollution a 'state secret'
Ministry rejects request to make findings of five-year study of ground contamination public, leaving critics wondering what's being hidden
The top environmental watchdog has rejected a request to publish findings of a high-profile national survey on soil pollution, citing "state secrecy".
Legal and environmental experts called the Ministry of Environmental Protection's decision irresponsible, and said it put public health at risk, as contaminated land could jeopardise food safety and cause cancer or other health problems in people living on it.
"The ministry's claim is rather ill-founded, because the regulations on disclosure of government information actually allow for the release of so-called 'national secrets' if they involve public interests," said Beijing-based lawyer Dong Zhengwei , who requested the findings from the environmental ministry on January 30.
The ministry's claim is rather ill-founded, because the regulations on disclosure of government information actually allow for the release of so-called 'national secrets' if they involve public interests
Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said soil contamination might pose more risk than other forms of pollution because it was not as visible and people did not know how to take precautions against it.
"The government has a responsibility to warn the public about whether a piece of land is safe to grow crops or build a home," Ma said.
Dong said the rejection also betrayed a promise made in June by Wu Xiaoqing , vice-minister of the environment, to "publish findings at an appropriate time" following a five-year ground-pollution survey that started in 2006 and cost 1 billion yuan (HK$1.24 billion).
The survey tested 200,000 samples of soil, ground water and farm produce nationwide, resulting in about 5 million pieces of data, the ministry said in 2011.