The central government kicked off a campaign Tuesday to deal with environmental concerns in mining areas, particularly in regions where the number of public complaints is growing.

Irresponsible miners who put profits ahead of sustainable development, are causing increasingly severe environmental problems by deliberately overlooking related requirements, said Liu Youbin, from the State Environmental Protection Administration.

The campaign will be jointly carried out by the administration, the Ministry of Land and Resources and the State Administration of Work Safety until September. It will focus on vulnerable regions where mining is not allowed, such as water sources, natural reserves and scenic spots.

The aim will be to check environmental threats to life and property as well as unnecessary waste of the country's limited mineral resources, Liu said.

Part of the impetus for the campaign is the lack of sufficient mineral resources in the country. Carried by the momentum of its fast growing economy, China has become a major international buyer of oil and other minerals, like copper.

Some of those purchases, officials believe, could be curtailed.

Old technologies used in many of the country's mines, especially private and rural collective ones,have resulted in a mineral utilization rate much lower than the world's average.

According to Liu, the ultimate aim of the campaign is to put out of business every miner found violating environmental polices.

Mines without proper licenses will be shut down while licensed mines will be required to meet environmental requirements.

"Unqualified" mines will have their electricity and water supply cut off by commercial and industrial authorities.

Liu said the campaign should bring home the importance of environmental impact assessments, while efforts to safeguard eco-systems cannot be secondary to larger profits.

Source: China Daily