Beijing to reduce coal output by two thirds by 2010
Xinhua reported that Beijing will cut its annual coal production by two thirds in the coming four years to 3 million tons, down from 9 million tons in 2005. Mr Zhou Yuqiu head of the Beijing's workplace safety administration said that as a first step, the city will close down 16 small coal mines in the outer districts of Fangshan and Mentougou and the closures will take place before the end of the year.
He said that at the end of 2005, Beijing had 52 small mines that together produced 5.5 million tons a year. Thirty one of these mines were closed last year and the rest will be shut down by the end of 2010. Small coal mines are coal mines that each produces less than 300,000 tons a year.
Mr Zhou said that Beijing was working to meet the central government's agenda to more than halve the country's small coal mines from 20,622 in 2005 to 10,000 by 2010. He said that "It's important for safety reasons as well as for development and the environment to close down small, low yield mines adding that their management was often lax and many failed to meet safety and labor protection requirements set by the state."
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