The Development of Risk Communication in Emergency River Pollution Accidents in China Liang Song Master of Science Thesis Stockholm 2008 Liang Song The Development of Risk Communication in Emergency River Pollution Accidents in China Supervisor: JAN FIDLER Examiner: RONALD WENNERSTEN Master of Science Thesis STOCKHOLM 2008 PRESENTED AT INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TRITA-IM 2008:40 ISSN 1402-7615 Industrial Ecology, Royal Institute of Technology www.ima.kth.se Industrial Ecology Liang Song The Development of Risk Communication in Emergency River Pollution Accidents in China Liang Song Sustainable Technology 2006 KTH Thesis registration: Risk Communication–FMS Supervisor: Jan Fidler 1st Dec. 2007 1 Industrial Ecology Liang Song Abstract: Risk communication was inferred in public emergence accident during the outbreak of SARS in the year of 2004 in China. It provides information, avoids panic, and makes decisions during the crisis. After that risk communication was also considered a useful tool in dealing with public health-bird flu in China. This study of risk communication is focus on the emergency river pollution accidents in China, taking Songhua River pollution accidents as a case study. The purpose of this study is examining the performance of each aspects of risk communication in emergency river pollution accidents. It includes information flow, government responsibility, and legislation. After Songhua River pollution accident, a series of emergency river pollution accidents break out in China. Review these accidents, some factor blocked risk communication including information transparency, corporation behaviors, implement of law and so on. Key words: Risk Communication, Emergency River Pollution Accidents, Songhua River Accidents 2 Industrial Ecology Liang Song Table of content Abstract: .................................................................................................................................................................... 2 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Background of Risk Communication .......................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Development of Risk Communication in China.......................................................................................... 4 1.3 Outbreak of Emergency River Pollution Accidents in China ...................................................................... 5 1.4 The Role of Risk Communication in Emergency River Pollution Accidents.............................................. 6 1.5 Aims of the Study and Objects .................................................................................................................... 7 2 Case Study of Songhua River Accident.................................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Songhua River Pollution.............................................................................................................................. 8 2.2 Attitude of Petrochemical plant and Jilin Government................................................................................ 9 2.3 Media......................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Communication to Russia and Co-operation with UNEP..........................................................................11 2.5 Harbin Government and Residents............................................................................................................ 12 3 Risk Communication in Songhua River Accidents............................................................................................... 13 3.1 Information Sharing and Communication to Publics................................................................................. 13 3.2 Risk Communication Rural Areas after Chemical Spill ............................................................................ 14 3.3 Risk Communication Experience of Russian and Co-operation Institute.................................................. 15 2.3 Overview and Estimate Songhua River Pollution ..................................................................................... 16 3.4 Conclusion of Songhua River Pollution Accidents.................................................................................... 17 4 Risk Communication in Industrial Pollution Accidents........................................................................................ 19 4.1 Corporation Responsibility........................................................................................................................ 19 4.2 Transparency.............................................................................................................................................. 21 4.3 Voices from Residents ............................................................................................................................... 22 4.4 Legislation and Enforcement..................................................................................................................... 23 4.5 Local Protectionism................................................................................................................................... 24 5. Conclusion........................................................................................................................................................... 26 6. Reference............................................................................................................................................................. 27 7. Appendix.............................................................................................................................................................. 29 Annex 1 China's Major River Basins and Long-term effects of pollutions ..................................................... 29 Annex 2 Serious Emergency Events and Time Table ...................................................................................... 30 3 Industrial Ecology Liang Song 1. Introduction 1.1 Background of Risk Communication Risk communication is partnership and dialogue of government and industry with the public. Risk communication as on of part of risk analysis can be defined a complex, multidisciplinary and multidimensional information exchanging process. Government and public health officials use risk communication to give citizens necessary and appropriate information and to involve them in making decisions. (U.S. Public Health Service 1995) Risk communication is a new science field and it concerned more about hazardous materials, nuclear power plants, and toxic substance and so on. In recent year, more and more organizations regard risk communication as important tool in public health. For example, World Health Organization started to concern risk communication on food safety in 1990s. Then the outbreak of SARS and avian influenza has promoted significant development of risk communication in the area of public health in China. From the definition of risk communication, it can be used in many different fields of decision making processes. In 1986, the first federal agency-the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established its guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment. Three years later the NRC published Improving Risk Communication, describing the basis for successful risk communication. (U.S. Public Health Service 1995) Form then different organization had made many different guide line and principle in each field. 1.2 Development of Risk Communication in China The usage and development of risk communication was very slow in China. By now, there is less guideline or rule of risk communication in any different fields of crisis. However the outbreak of avian influenza and SARS provided an opportunity to test risk communication in China. The spreading of avian influenza and SARS are considered challenges and threats to public health. As spreading globally, it has drawn the great attention by World Health Organization and other organization. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in USA started to concern the emergency risk communication from then. Emergency risk communication provided information by public health organizations and experts allow stakeholders and entire community to make the best decisions during emergency. From the perspective of public health and experiences of risk communication in China, the development of risk communication comes from the environmental health to avoid and reduce the damage. Experience of risk communication during the SARS and avian influenza helps to analyze the situation of emergency river pollution accident in China. Taking SARS for example, in considerable period after the disease broke out, the authorities failed to provide either their own people or the outside world with information on the disease, causing great harm both to China and the countries to which SARS spread. However, even in the case of China, once the decision was taken to communicate openly, information was provided clearly and efficiently to the public. (The 4 Industrial Ecology Liang Song University of Hong Kong, 2006) China has learnt a lot from the outbreak of SARS in 2003. However emergency risk communication is still a new concept for its public health