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Article

6 Oct 2011

Author:
Lu Minghe, Southern Weekend [China]

A lead poisoning too far? [China]

China’s beleaguered lead-acid battery industry has suffered yet another blow – this one landing on American company Johnson Controls, regarded by industry insiders as a “model of health and safety”...[D]ozens of children in...Shanghai’s Pudong district have tested positive for excessive levels of lead in their blood...[T]he main finger of suspicion has pointed at...Shanghai Johnson...Ju Chunfang, an investigator in the pollution prevention office at Pudong environmental protection bureau, confirmed that the facility had been temporarily closed...The problems at Shanghai Johnson have shocked the industry...Shanghai Johnson told Southern Weekend: “Our factory in China has world-class, cutting-edge pollution control systems....”...Bai Yun confirmed that the company carries out health checks for workers annually, and that so far virtually no cases of high blood-lead levels have been found among employees. Ju Chunfang explained that... last year an audit report for Shanghai Johnson was rejected. One of the reasons for this was an inadequate buffer zone around the facility...Shanghai Johnson...[said] that...the plant had reduced lead emissions...