Chinese activist accuses Apple supplier Foxconn of water contamination

All is not well for Apple’s supply chain. According to the Wall Street Journal, prominent Chinese activist Ma Jun has released a report that puts Apple’s supplier Foxconn (also known as Hon Hai) under fire. The report was released by Ma Jun’s Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs alongside four other nonprofit organisations.

The report accuses the supplier of releasing water with high level of metals into a river that feeds the Huangpu river in Shanghai. Alongside the report is also a video that shows the wastewater, which is quite dark and grim, being released from what is claimed to be a Foxconn facility.

Foxconn is under fire from environmental activists

In response to this, Foxconn has released a statement explaining that the wastewater released from its facility meets the emission standards and “has been processed in accordance with all relevant government laws and environmental regulations.” According to Foxconn, other companies have facilities in the same industrial park and discharge wastewater into the same river.

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Back in February, the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection declined to release the results of a multi-year nationwide soil-pollution survey. According to researchers, however, between 8 and 20 percent of China’s arable land may be contaminated with heavy metals.

According to WSJ, Kunshan Environmental Protection Bureau Deputy Director Ding Yudong has stated that the government is currently investigating the claims of the report and has taken samples from the wastewater.

Ma’s organisation has earlier released reports that focused on abuses in Apple’s supply chain. However, he did praise the company when Apple carried out an environmental audit back in 2011.