There was once abundant groundwater, it was once a paradise for migratory birds, and it was once a pearl on the grasslands. On the land of Ordos, Inner Mongolia, the crazed plundering by polluting companies and the nearly silent resistance of people and birds against energy and ecological environmental issues are unfolding here and now…
Only with the courage to face the problem is there a possibility of gradual repair and improvement…
Latest situation: In recent days, facing public opinion and supervision, the local government of Tuke Town in Ordos has used machinery to clean up the polluted sludge in the lakes that have been polluted for many years, planning to purify the water with sand… But this is just the first step of change (which coincides with the central environmental inspection team’s presence in Inner Mongolia). How to proceed with deep and thorough governance, how to eradicate pollution from its roots. We look forward to a sincere response from the local government, rather than just hastily deleting posts whenever an incident occurs. Deleting posts is a manifestation of insecurity and inaction, which not only directly undermines public trust but also leads to strong backlash from all netizens concerned about the issue, who will continue to monitor the situation through other channels comprehensively.
We particularly want to ask the local polluting companies: “You have taken away coal, natural gas, and other resources, what can you leave for the local villagers and their descendants?”
Timeline:
On September 5, 2021, the day after we published “Investigation into Heavy Metal Pollution in Ordos, Inner Mongolia,” it was forcibly deleted by mysterious forces.
On the afternoon of September 6, 2021, the Wushen Banner in Ordos issued a notice to all the Gacha villages:
On September 7, 2021, the local government called every household in the village to count the patients and asked the villagers to sign; more than 20 people braved the rain to pick up bird carcasses along the lake and destroy the migratory bird carcasses.
Subsequently, the local government hired 2 people specifically to guard the lake with a company of $4,000 per month to prevent us from going to the site again for investigation as well as picking up migratory bird carcasses at any time.
On October 9, 2021, a locally commissioned PR firm attempted to prevent us from continuing our investigation with a disguised bribe of $50,000 per quarter $200,000 per year. In case the PR company didn’t understand, we refused in four languages: “Artist Team Refuses $200,000 per Year in 4 Styles” (click to read).
In 2022, we are still continuing (including providing the real situation to the Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team)… We hope that the local relevant enterprises and departments can face the problems, treat the migratory birds that fly to Inner Mongolia from all over the world every year as guests, and take care of the polluted homeland… because the ultimate price of pollution is the increasingly precious groundwater, soil, the state-protected migratory birds, the people!
Once a global migratory bird transit site,
Today a lake of migratory bird deaths
The heavy metal pollution incident in Tuk Town, Ordos, Inner Mongolia
At the end of the summer of 2021, we invited two heavy metal bands (“Old Head Music” and “Soil Amendment”) to rush to the pollution site to kick off the #HeavyMetalRuralTour2021#, attempting to use heavy metal music to draw attention to heavy metal pollution, promote improvements by the relevant enterprises, and call on the relevant departments to make rectifications.
Migratory birds that came to nest died, their bones scattered everywhere; cattle and sheep that drank the lake water fell ill and died within a few days; the villagers here are suffering from cerebral infarction, kidney stones, or high blood pressure. With the arrival of more than 20 coal chemical enterprises such as China Coal, Zhongtian Hechuang, and PetroChina, some residents of Tuoketown in Uxin Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, are in a desperate situation.
Residents complain that due to the illegal and irregular discharge of a large amount of substandard wastewater, toxic water by coal chemical companies, the water source on which the residents of Tuoketown depend, Chagan Nur Lake, has been severely polluted. The toxic water has not only inundated the herders’ pastures, destroyed the village’s collective salt alkali plant, but also caused the death of a large number of migratory birds, fish, insects, cattle, and sheep. What is even more alarming is that the residents here are suffering from various difficult-to-treat chronic diseases and may face the tragic fate of either migrating elsewhere or dying here like the migratory birds.
In order to save themselves, on November 16, 2019, six local residents of Tuoketown officially reported the Hulusu coal mine of Zhongtian Hechuang Energy Co., Ltd. for illegally discharging substandard mine wastewater, causing great pollution and environmental damage to Chagan Nur Lake. The local government promised to deal with it at the time.
Two years later, has the pollution of Chagan Nur Lake been properly handled? Is the toxic and foul water still being discharged illegally and irregularly? How are the lives of the herders affected? Can migratory birds still migrate and survive here? Have the related companies been punished? Investigators visited Tuoketown in April 2021 to find out.
Freshly hatched migratory birds died in a few days
The national protected animal, the swan, also died.
Tuoketown, located in the southwest of Ordos, at the easternmost part of Uxin Banner, governs 10 Gacha villages and 74 agricultural and pastoral communities, with a total population of 4,686 households and 15,064 people, among which 4,669 are Mongolians.
Chagan Nur Lake is a typical grassland lake, which in Mongolian means “white lake.” The lake covers a large area, and many locals refer to it as “the sea.” It is the most important water source for the people of Tuoketown to rely on for survival.
Chagan Nur Lake is a typical grassland lake, which means “white lake” in Mongolian
In mid-April 2021, investigators arrived at Chagan Nur Lake and found the lake water exhibiting an abnormal yellow-green color. Walking around the lake shore for a few minutes, the investigators saw many dead migratory birds, some with feathers still on their bodies and others reduced to skeletons.
Uncle Tian, who lives in a village near Chagan Nur Lake, stated with certainty, “Since the arrival of these chemical plants like Zhongtian Hechuang, a large number of birds have been dying off in succession, which is quite tragic.”
A large number of migratory birds died, which was quite tragic
while walking along the lake, the investigators also found migratory birds that had recently died or were on the verge of death
Swans also died (national second-class protected animals).
Originally, Chagan Nur Lake is located on one of the eight major global migratory bird routes, the East Africa-West Asia migration line, attracting large numbers of migratory birds every year.
Uncle Tian recalls that Chagan Nur Lake used to see tens of thousands of migratory birds come here to forage every autumn and winter, including many swans, which was a spectacular sight. In spring and summer, the lake’s edges were filled with the joyful sounds of frogs, and the unique large mosquitoes of the grasslands were everywhere, signifying a place full of life.
“Everything changed after Zhongtian Hechuang and these chemical factories arrived. The number of migratory birds has been decreasing year by year, the sound of frogs has also weakened, and even the grassland’s large mosquitoes are almost gone. A large number of migratory birds died at Chagan Nur Lake, a scene never seen before, including swans and many large long-legged birds.”
What grieves Uncle Tian more is that many newly hatched birds died just days after birth, “They were supposed to come here to winter, but it turned out to be a death sentence.”
Even the cattle and sheep that drank the lake water fell sick and died.
Uncle Tian also complained that even the fish he raised in the lake all died.
Uncle Tian is a herder, and herders do not have the habit of eating fish. With the increase in people from outside the area, herders also began to stock various types of fish in Chagan Nur Lake. According to the herders, “The lake water used to be clean and fertile, and it was possible to raise fish up to twenty or thirty pounds heavy. However, now, the lake water can no longer sustain fish.”
Moreover, cattle and sheep that drank the lake water gradually fell ill and died. Investigators learned that for the residents around Chagan Nur Lake, dozens to hundreds of cattle and sheep are almost their entire economic source. Since Chagan Nur Lake was polluted, cattle and sheep that drank the lake water would die within a few days.
Aunt Xu, a herder, cried to the investigators that just last week, she lost five or six sheep, “Our sheep drink water from Chagan Nur Lake and often get sick. The veterinarian came to check and said they had urinary stones. If the stones are not removed in time, urine will flow back into the sheep’s body, and the sheep will die of urinary retention. Such dead sheep cannot be sold and have to be buried somewhere.”
Now, the herders can only fence off the area around Chagan Nur Lake to prevent their livestock from approaching the lake. Worried that the well water around the lake is also polluted, the villagers no longer drink well water and have switched to tap water and bottled water.
The residents fall ill, either with kidney stones, cerebral infarction, or high blood pressure
Despite this, the residents living by the lake continue to fall ill, either with kidney stones, cerebral infarction, or high blood pressure, causing widespread alarm. Villagers disclosed that the discharge of coal mine wastewater turned the area into a vast sea. Hulusu Village, a large village by Chagan Nur Lake, revealed to investigators that out of 150 villagers, forty to fifty have suffered from cerebral infarction. The number of those with high blood pressure and cardiovascular blockages is also significant.
Not only the local herders but also truck drivers who came to work and live here with the arrival of Zhongtian Hechuang have become victims of environmental pollution. A truck driver disclosed to the investigators that he went for a check-up last week and discovered he had developed cardiovascular blockage, despite previously being healthy. His brother, another truck driver who has lived nearby since 2015, has been diagnosed with the same condition.
“Since arriving here, we’ve been drinking water from wells 140 meters deep, and now we’ve been diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases. Afterwards, we all became very afraid and started switching to bottled water.”
Tests showed that Chagan Nur Lake’s chemical oxygen demand exceeded the standard by 12 times, fluoride by 2.6 times, and iron by 2 times.
Uncle Tian is also a patient with cerebral infarction. At over seventy years old, he rolled up his sleeves and trouser legs to show the investigators, his hands and feet are covered with spotted eczema. Uncle Tian recalled that when he went to see a doctor in Beijing, the doctor asked him if there was heavy metal pollution nearby upon seeing his condition. Only then did Uncle Tian remember that he had waded through the polluted toxic water of Chagan Nur Lake when watering his pear trees.
“It’s all because Zhongtian Hechuang secretly discharged toxic water,” said Uncle Tian.
The problem wasn’t solved,
instead, they dealt with the person who raised the issue
The massive discharge of wastewater by the company into Chagan Nur Lake not only resulted in the death of fish, birds, cattle, and sheep but also submerged the herders’ grasslands. Villagers revealed that the company compensated for the grassland for the years 2018-2019, with no further compensation thereafter; there were also complaints from villagers that the wastewater discharged by Zhongtian Hechuang had flooded herders’ homes, turning their surroundings into a vast sea, making it impossible to come and go. Eventually, after complaining to the mayor’s hotline, the issue was resolved with a compensation of a few tens of thousands of yuan.
What other harms has the arrival of Zhongtian Hechuang brought? Investigators went to Zhongtian Hechuang to find out. That day, dark clouds filled the sky, and a light rain fell, with a stench pervading the air, likely caused by Zhongtian Hechuang’s fertilizer plant.
Residents around revealed that Zhongtian Hechuang would emit foul odors, and the timing of these emissions was unpredictable. When the stench arrived, residents had no choice but to close their doors and windows tightly.
With fish, cattle, and sheep getting sick and dying, bodies suffering from various diseases, grasslands submerged, and the assault of foul odors, the villagers of Hulusu Village once tried to resist. They went together to Zhongtian Hechuang, blocked the workers from construction, and demanded an explanation from Zhongtian Hechuang.
Upon learning of this, the Deputy Head of Uxin Banner, Zhang Zhixiong, promised the villagers that he would handle and resolve the matter. However, a few days later, several villagers were taken away on charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, disturbing public order.”
Villager Wang Sixi was detained for 9 months and sentenced to 5 years with a 4-year suspension. During those four years, he was under electronic surveillance and couldn’t go anywhere. He told the investigators, “The problem wasn’t solved; instead, they dealt with the person who raised the issue.”
Well drilling sludge polluted the well water, and heavy metals exceeded standards
Tuke town has rich mineral resources. Apart from coal mines, the fine sand of Tuoketown is also dotted with many small and large natural gas wells of PetroChina.
The grasslands of Taobao Gacha are dotted with many natural gas wells. Investigators learned from villagers that the Fifth Gas Extraction Factory of Changqing Oilfield Company collected natural gas in Taobao Gacha. Although every household in the village received a certain subsidy for natural gas wells, the drilling sludge occupied the farmers’ land and was buried on-site without treatment.
Afterward, problems ensued. Previously, the villagers were in good health, but now the village has become a high-incidence area for cerebral infarction, high blood pressure, and cerebral palsy.
Danis, a native herder of Taobao Gacha living off sheep herding and corn farming, was diagnosed with cerebral infarction after the oil company moved in and has been on medication ever since. His mother and aunt have already died from cerebral infarction. His sister-in-law couldn’t escape the fate
According to the GB5749-2006 “Standards for Drinking Water Quality,” the well water that has been used for generations now has its microbiological and heavy metal toxicological indicators severely exceeding the standards.
Another serious environmental issue is the massive extraction of groundwater by companies like Zhongtian Hechuang, which is also a significant reason for the rapid decline in groundwater levels and the shortage of water in Uxin Banner. The grasslands are becoming arid, and many lakes that used to be fed by groundwater have dried up. For Ordos, which already receives very little rainfall, this is adding insult to injury. In recent years, groundwater resources have drastically decreased, and water from the Yellow River has had to be diverted from Baotou for industrial use. This has greatly accelerated the desertification of the grasslands.
However, in Tuoketown, there are more than 20 water-consuming enterprises, including China Coal, PetroChina, and Zhongtian Hechuang. These coal chemical enterprises not only consume a large amount of water, but companies like the Hulusu coal mine also discharge a large amount of substandard mine wastewater into the lakes, harming fish, birds, cattle, sheep, and the residents of Tuoketown.
Investigators found that although the local environmental protection department has penalized companies like Zhongtian Hechuang multiple times for their pollution activities, these coal chemical enterprises continue to violate the law blatantly, merely changing their overt pollution discharges to irregular secret discharges.
Companies like China Coal and Sinopec have discharged a large amount of wastewater into the lake
Villagers complain that the fish and birds have died, the cattle and sheep can no longer be raised, the water is undrinkable, the grasslands are polluted, and the people are sick. What should they do about their future?
Investigators returned to Tuoketown in mid-August 2021 and found even more migratory bird carcasses around Chagan Lake, with the bones of different migratory birds visible every five steps.
The investigators purchased 60 chrysanthemums to hold a funeral for the migratory birds, only to discover that the number of dead migratory birds amounted to several hundred
Once a global migratory bird transit site, it has now become a lake of death for migratory birds. The residents here will face a fate similar to these migratory birds, either dying here or migrating elsewhere.
-End-
Tuoketown × Xiaohao Rabbit
Tuoketown is affiliated with Ordos City in Inner Mongolia and is a cross-provincial neighbor to Xiaohao Rabbit Township in Yulin City, Shaanxi. Both places are located at the core of China’s famous energy belt. In 2018, water pollution in Xiaohao Rabbit shocked the entire network, leading to the suspension and rectification of the involved coal mines and Sinopec. Continuous reports by domestic and international media prompted the local government to drill deep water wells for all villages in the township, securing the basic safety of drinking water. Tuoketown and Xiaohao Rabbit share highly overlapping pollution sources (coal mines and natural gas companies violating pollution regulations).
Attached are media reports on Xiaohao Rabbit:
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