The official warned the spill is a "serious threat" to marine life and water quality, and recent environmental crisis China has spread off the coast of Dalian, once named the most livable city in China.
A cleaning worker was drowned, his body covered with oil.
"I have been to a few bays of today, and discovered that they were almost completely covered with dark oil," said Zhong Yu environment Greenpeace group in China, which spent the whole day on a boat verify the spill.
Oil half solid and half liquid and as sticky as asphalt, "she told The Associated Press by telephone.