China Gold, CNMC criticised for environmental failings

CNMC Goldmine Holdings

06/09/2021 13:38

Sept 6 (Reuters) - China's environment ministry on Monday
criticised state-run metal producers China Gold and CNMC for
polluting their surroundings and failing to adequately address
previously identified problems, with a particular focus on
tailings dams.
    The Ministry of Ecology and Environment said last month it
would send inspection teams to China National Gold Group and
CNMC, or China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Co, in the central
government's latest round of audits aimed at cleaning up heavy
industry.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2PW0L9
    Inspectors found flue gas leaks from a copper smelting
furnace belonging to CNMC unit China Daye Non-ferrous Metals
Mining  0661.HK , in Hubei province, as well as excessive
concentrations of toxic impurities lead, arsenic and cadmium in
a nearby rainwater pipe network, a ministry statement said. 
    Daye Nonferrous, one of China's biggest copper producers,
also failed to build a flood interception ditch for a tailings
dam at its Fengshan copper mine despite being told to do so as
far back as 2012, the ministry said, adding that the dam was
only some 800 metres from the Yangtze river.
    Tailings dams are commonly used by mining firms to store
waste remnants of ore. They have been under close scrutiny
globally since the 2019 collapse of one in Brazil which killed
around 270 people.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2PO13C
    Daye has over the years dealt with calls for it to rectify
outstanding environmental problems "in a perfunctory manner",
the ministry said.
    Daye and CNMC did not immediately respond to requests for
comment.
    The ministry's report on China Gold centered on its
operations in the southern regions of Yunnan, Guangxi and
Guizhou, which were described as being rich in minerals but
having fragile ecosystems.
    In Guangxi, inadequate work on tailings dams belonging to a
unit of China Gold had created reddish-brown ponds with
excessive levels of arsenic and cyanide, the ministry said.
    China Gold did not immediately respond to a request for
comment on the findings.   
    

 (Reporting by Tom Daly; editing by Jason Neely)
 ((tom.daly@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 5669 2119;))