…[T]he fields of Ge Songqing [Hunan]…are ringed by factories and irrigated with water tainted by industrial waste. Levels of toxic heavy metals in the wastewater here are among the highest in China, and residents…suspect that a spate of cancer deaths is linked to the pollution, and they worry about levels of lead in the children’s blood…[V]ice minister of land and resources, Wang Shiyuan, gave an alarming glimpse of official findings…that eight million acres of China’s farmland…had become so polluted that planting crops on it “should not be allowed.”…Chinese farmers “have such a profound connection with the land,” said Mr. Chen, the Guangdong soil scientist. “…China’s household registration system makes it difficult for them to relocate to other areas....” In one part of Hengyang, a mound of industrial waste that has destroyed adjacent farmland has drawn outraged comments from villagers…But they expect no action because the nearby factories are tied to local officials, villagers said…