The thawing of the frozen Songhua River in northeast China, which was seriously polluted by a chemical plant explosion late last year, will not cause a second pollution, a top environment official of the country said in Beijing Saturday.

Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), said at a press conference that China and Russia have reached the same conclusion regarding the water quality of the Songhua River, which flows into the Heilong River on the Sino-Russian border.

"Last night I received a most encouraging news from the Russian side, that they had reached the same conclusion as ours -- there will be no second pollution of the Songhua River this spring," said Zhou in response to the question of a Russian journalist.

The conclusion was based on the monitoring, test and analysis of more than 1,000 environmental experts, said Zhou.

"Our monitoring and study also showed that the fish in the Songhua River as well as the agricultural and dairy products from the areas along the river are safe to eat," Zhou told reporters.

Around 100 tons of pollutants containing hazardous benzene spilled into the Songhua River after a chemical plant explosion on November 13 in Northeast China's Jilin Province. It was one of the worst river pollution incidents since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The incident forced the cities along the river, including Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province and a city of more than 3 million people, to temporarily suspend water supply. As the pollutants also flowed into the Heilong River (Amur River in Russia), China and Russia carried out environmental cooperation to minimize the impact of the transborder pollution.

Zhou said at the press conference that the two governments have conducted "all-round" and "satisfactory" cooperation and "there is no difference on any issues" between the two sides.

The official said that his administration has worked out a detailed plan for the "long-term pollution control and prevention" of the Songhua River.

The plan will attach utmost importance to ensuring drinking water safety along the Songhua River, and will introduce a responsibility system for local governments and officials in protecting the river from pollution, said Zhou.

The plan is expected to be approved by the central authorities shortly, and the SEPA will publicize the plan's details through the media, including the exact amount of investment, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2006)