Olympic host Beijing plans to close down at least 1,000 small unlicensed coal mines and sack all the workers ahead of next year's Olympic Games, state media reported yesterday.
All illegal coal mines in the vicinity of the city have been ordered to stop operations immediately, dismantle their equipment, fire their workers and hand in explosives within 15 days, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Mine owners who turned themselves in would either escape punishment or have it reduced, while those who ignored the order would be jailed for more than 10 years, it said.
Given the sheer number of small mines it is virtually impossible for the government to monitor if the mines stay shut, while local officials are well known to collude with mine bosses and ignore orders from central authorities.
The nation's top work safety official said in June that China was failing in its efforts to shut down thousands of small coal mines around the country.
Small mines were still being set up at a rapid pace despite an explicit ban, adding to the existing 24,000 pits in that category, said Li Yizhong (
Xinhua did not say why the mines had to be closed ahead of next year's Olympics.
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