From Guardian Unlimited:
Chinese authorities rushed to soak up a toxic coal tar spill in a river Saturday before it reached a city reservoir downstream, but villagers said the water has been filthy and undrinkable for years.
About 10,000 people were helping authorities use straw mats, cotton quilts and other materials to soak up 60 tons of toxic sludge spilled Monday into the Dasha River in northern Shanxi province before it reached Baoding, a city of 10 million, the official Xinhua News Agency said. [Full Text]
See also Hebei fire trucks aid Dasha River clean-up by Shanghai Daily
