Chemical Spill Scare After Tropical Storm Muifa Hits Chinese Coast

Residents in the path of tropical storm Muifa are frustrated by the lack of information after high waves brought on by the storm threatened to cause a chemical spill on China's east coast.

The port city of Dalian in Liaoning province is home to the Fujia Dahua Petrochemical plant. On Monday morning, 60-foot-high waves breached a dyke protecting the plant.

Fujia Dahua produces paraxylene. It's a flammable and carcinogenic liquid chemical. Chinese media reports that paraxylene was stored less than 200 feet from the dyke when the breach occurred. This has worried locals, who say authorities aren't providing details about whether there's a leak or health risk.

[Local Resident]:
"We all want to find out information. We don't know anything, and are finding out a little on the Internet. Authorities haven't spoken on this. There isn't much official information. They said only those living at least 60 miles away would be safe—but here we're less than 12 miles away. The people here are worried of course."

A state-run CCTV crew who went to Fujia Dahua to report on the incident became news themselves. Staff at the plant reportedly stopped them from entering the plant, striking the reporters and their equipment.

We called the plant, but they wouldn't tell us much.

[Fujia Dahua Employee]:
"We're not too sure. Our company isn't too sure about this yet. We can't answer anyone."

State-run Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday that no chemical leaks have been detected around the plant. Dalian authorities say 11 staff members are now being investigated for the clash with journalists.

Tropical cyclone Muifa—initially categorized as Category 5 super typhoon—caused more than $460 million dollars in damage as it battered China's eastern coast.