Related staff from Ministry of Environmental Protection notified media of the latest environmental monitoring information on disaster area today. The official noted, "after the quake struck, local EPBs at all levels have gone all out despite difficulties to conduct more frequent monitoring. By May 14, national automatic water quality monitoring results showed water quality at the disaster area and affected area was of Grade II including Longdong section of Panzhihua, the trunk of Yangtze River, Nanjinguan section of Yichang, the outflow of Three Gorges Reservoir, Liangjianggou section of Yibin, the inflow of Minjiang river to the Yangtze River and Erqiao section of Luzhou, the inflow of Tuojiang river to the Yangtze River. Water quality at Minjiang river bridge of Leshan was Grade IV and the major excessive substance was dissolved oxygen. No evident change was found compared with water quality before the quake and the water quality is up to the standard of drinking water."

The official revealed that affected by the earthquake in Wenhuan on the afternoon of May 12, production equipment of Yingfeng Industrial Co. and Hongda Chemical Co. based in Shifang City, Sichuan Province was severely destroyed, leading to leakage of sulphuric acid and liquefied ammonia. Upon receiving the report, staff from MEP’s Southwest Environmental Inspection Center rushed to the scene and started emergency response. They guided local EPBs to set up five monitoring sections along Shiting river and Yazi river, namely Gaojingguan, Shuangsheng bridge, Luoshui Guangji, Qingzui mountain and Majing to have sample test of water quality. Deyang EPB immediately invoked environmental emergency plan as soon as it learnt that the lower reaches of Shiting river was slightly polluted by NH3-N. The hidden trouble was removed by emergency disposal of pollution hazard and overall monitoring of other potentially dangerous areas, industrial clusters and concentrated drinking water source protection areas. Ammonia leakage was caused at the Meifeng Chemical Co., Ltd Fertilizer Branch based in Deyang City. As disposal was timely, the environment was not impacted. Currently, except sections at Luoshui Guangji and Qingzui mountain where the values of PH and NH3-N exceeded standard slightly, water quality at other sections have all met the standard of Grade III. Nothing particularly abnormal about air quality has been observed.

MEP official noted that so far no secondary environmental pollution was caused by the quake in Chongqing municipality, a severely affected area in Sichuan. All sewage treatment plants, refuse disposal facilities, gangue warehouse and management of hazardous chemicals were in normal operation. Pollution control facilities were not affected by the quake. Serious burst of dam at the phase IV gangue warehouse of Jianchaling Mining Co., Ltd. Shaanxi Province was properly handled and hidden trouble of environmental security was removed for the moment.

As for the hearsay spread on the internet that hazardous chemicals were leaked from a chemical plant in Dujiangyan City which polluted the drinking water sources of Chengdu, the official said it was pure rumor. The data on water quality for two days straight monitored by Chengdu Environmental Monitoring Center showed nothing unusual about the drinking water quality. He also said that the Ministry of Environmental Protection was paying close attention to the situation of water and air pollution in the disaster area. The Ministry has made arrangement to supply monitoring equipment to disaster area where environmental protection equipment was seriously destroyed and the monitoring capacity undermined to ensure the needs for environmental monitoring of disaster area were accommodated.