Unsafe coal mines get breather
13/10/2006 14:19
China has delayed plans to close all its unsafe small coal mines by
two years.
The target was originally set for the end of 2008 but after
meeting opposition from local governments, the central government has been
forced to postpone the plan until 2010.
China has 17,000 small coal
mines, which produce one-third of the nation's coal output, and aims to reduce
the number to around 10,000 by the end of 2010. The remaining mines are all
expected to meet national safety standards.
An Yuanjie with the State's
Administration of Work Safety, confirmed to Xinhua that problems emerged when
the policy was implemented at local levels.
Small coal mines, some of
which are notoriously deadly, are considered the major capital sources for local
governments leading to many local authorities protecting unsafe mines for
financial gain.
The coal mine safety watchdog has called for small mines
with an annual output of below 30,000 tons to be shut down by the end of this
year to reduce the number of accidents. Unsafe small coal mines account for
two-thirds of the total fatalities from mining accidents.
Xinhua news
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