The Stream, March 19: Dead Pigs Pulled From Chinese River

Pollution
Officials have found 131 dead pigs in China’s Ganjiang River near Nanchang, and are still recovering more carcasses, Bloomberg News reported. Drinking water in Nanchang has been tested and is safe, according to tests, but the incident is once again raising concerns about food and water safety a year after dead pigs were found in the Huangpu River near Shanghai.

Efforts to clean up contaminated water and other waste at industrial superfund sites in the United States are transporting the waste all over the country, the Center for Investigative Reporting and the Guardian found. The waste is treated multiple times at different plants, each of which can have its own environmental violations, according to the report.

Water Risks
Water pollution and scarcity in India will likely create risks for economic growth in the future, but businesses are underestimating these risks, Bloomberg News reported, citing a report from the nonprofit group CDP. Of the 29 companies surveyed, half said they were exposed to water risks, but the report found that many are not ready to fix the problems.

California will allow more water to be used for farming from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta in order to guard against risks to the state’s agriculture, which local politicians say is important for global food supplies, Reuters reported. Restrictions on the amount of water diverted from the delta and who gets to use it are meant to protect endangered fish species and public water supplies, respectively.

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