Shenzhen Daily (Tan Xiaomi) THE municipal environmental protection bureau Thursday blamed two power plants in Nanshan District for the acid rain that fell there Tuesday, corroding the exteriors of hundreds of buildings and vehicles.
The hardest-hit areas included Taizi Villa and Nanshan Village near the eastern section of Yueliangwan Thoroughfare. A lab test result conducted by the bureau found acid and other corrosive chemicals in the “black” rain.
Preliminary investigations by the environmental protection bureau showed that the acid rain was caused by ash and smog from two power plants nearby.
“To monitor and control the pollutants, the watchdog has required the two power plants to report six hours before they discharge ash each time. The two plants are also required to upgrade pollutant-discharging devices and procedures,” said a bureau spokesman surnamed Lu.
Tuesday’s “black” rain hit Nanshan Village and communities in Yueliangwan and Qianhai at about 10 p.m.
“Our uniforms and umbrellas were dyed by the ‘black’ rain. Flowers and other plants were also corroded by the rain,” said a security guard at Nanshan Village.
Many car owners in the area claimed that the acid rain, which fell for an hour, corroded the paint on their cars and left black marks which could not be erased.
The owners have been forced to pay for the repainting of their cars, which cost about 10,000 yuan (US$1,316) per vehicle.
It was the third time the area was hit by acid rain. The Daily Sunshine and Shenzhen Evening News reported similar instances July 22 and 27 respectively.