China makes mine owners fund improvements

BEIJING, March 3 (UPI) -- China's Cabinet has ordered mine owners to contribute a portion of their profits toward safety infrastructure improvements, state media said Thursday.

Zhang Guobao, director of the Office for Revitalizing Northeast China under the State Council, said mine owners would have to contribute between 2-10 yuan ($0.24-$1.20) per ton of coal to a special fund devoted to improving work safety infrastructure.

Zhang did not say when the measure would go into effect beyond "soon."

China Daily reported that nearly half of the mines operating in China would be closed immediately if they were in other countries, because of poor ventilation. The paper noted the country's energy demands force mine operators into dangerous shafts despite the obvious risks.

Besides the safety fund, coal mine owners are likely to be compelled to finance an ecological fund to pay for environmental damage caused by mining and the burning of coal.

Critics charge that coal mining is a virtual death sentence in China. More than 500 miners have died in accidents since the start of the year.