On April 10, the Ecological Environment Bureau of Bayannur City in Inner Mongolia announced the handling of a mass petition report assigned by the Third Central Ecological Environmental Protection Supervision Group in Bayannur City. The content involves unlicensed and cross-border mining by Zijin Mining Company in Wulatehou Banner.
reported that at the Sanguikou Iron (Lead) Zinc Mine of Zijin Mining Company in Wulatehouqi, the south mining section mined 2,988.41 tons of ore and 69.93 tons of metal across the border. About 1.6325 million tons of illegal mining without a safety license has been punished. The petition reported that about 2.51 million tons of unlicensed mining has been carried out in the northern mining section, and about 1.96 million tons of ore has been mined. The situation of about 46,500 tons of cross-border mining in the southern mining section is basically true. On April 8, Zheng Moumou, general manager of Zijin Mining Company in Urad Rear Banner, surrendered, claiming that Zijin Mining mined lead-zinc ore in the Sanguikou North Mining Section without a license and was suspected of illegal mining. At present, the Urad Rear Banner Public Security Bureau has Accept cases.
html On April 14, a reporter from Red Star News contacted the relevant person in charge of the Urad Houqi Public Security Bureau. He said that the public security agency has officially filed a case and the relevant personnel are cooperating with the public security agency in the investigation. According to a report from the Bayannaoer Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, the flag chief of the banner government has been identified as the responsible person for the case, and the investigation and handling of the petition issue will be accelerated. It is expected to be completed before November 30, 2022.
Inner Mongolia Bayannur City Ecological Environment Bureau announced the handling of complaints and reports from the masses assigned by the Central Third Ecological Environmental Protection Supervision Group
Two mining sections have unlicensed and cross-border mining of more than 2.55 million tons
Previously, they were punished for cross-border mining of 2,988.41 tons
The Sanguikou iron (lead) zinc mine of Zijin Mining Company in Wulatehou Banner mentioned in the notification is affiliated to the listed company Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zijin Mining). Wulatehou Banner Zijin Mining Company is a holding subsidiary of Zijin Mining and is responsible for Zijin Mining's mineral business in Wulatehou Banner.
Zijin Mining is a mining group mainly engaged in the exploration and development of gold and basic metal mineral resources. It is one of China's top 500 companies. It is listed on Hong Kong H shares (HKEX: 2899) and Shanghai A shares (SSE: 601899) in 2021. In 2016, it was ranked 398th among global listed companies in " Forbes " and 486th among Fortune Global 500 companies. In 2021, Zijin Mining produced 584,000 tons of mined copper, 347.5 tons of mined gold, and 396,000 tons of mined zinc. It achieved operating income of 225.1 billion yuan and a total profit of 24.8 billion yuan, of which 15.7 billion yuan was net profit attributable to the parent company. As of the end of 2021, the company's total assets were 208.6 billion yuan. The company's overseas copper and gold mineral resource reserves, output and profits account for more than half of the group's total.
According to the official website of Zijin Mining, Zijin Mining holds 395% of the shares of Sanguikou Iron (Lead) zinc mine. The mine produces 50,000 tons of zinc and 11,000 tons of lead annually. Its operating income in 2021 is 900 million yuan, total assets reach 2.27 billion yuan, and net profit is 87 million yuan.
In the introduction of Zijin Mining’s official website, a Red Star News reporter noticed that Urad Houqi Zijin Mining Company was shortlisted for the top 100 private enterprises in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2016. According to
data, the Sanguikou lead-zinc mine mentioned in the notice is one of the lead-zinc mines with the lowest underground mining grade and the largest single mine scale in the country. Zijin Company was also selected into the " Green Mine " list in 2020. As a large mining enterprise and a "green mine" pilot unit in the Bayannur area, relevant leaders from Wulatehou Banner and Bayannur City have visited Zijin Company's mining areas for investigation many times.
Sanguikou lead-zinc mine of Zijin Mining Company in Wulatehouqi. The picture comes from the Zijin Mining website
But in 2020, Zijin Mining Company in Urad Rear Banner fell into a vortex of unlicensed, illegal mining and environmental pollution reports.
A whistleblower told the Red Star News reporter that after discovering unlicensed and cross-border illegal mining at Wulatehouqi Zijin Mining Company in 2020, he reported it to the local Natural Resources Bureau, but the amount of cross-border mining identified at the time was actually It's the tip of the iceberg.
The whistleblower said that the Sanguikou iron (lead) zinc mine of Urad Houqi Zijin Mining Company has two mining sections, the north and the south. The south mining section has a mining license , but there is cross-border mining that does not follow the coordinate range marked on the mining license. The amount of cross-border mining is 46,500 tons.The northern mining section only has a prospecting license but no mining license. Since 2013, the amount of unlicensed mining has reached approximately 2.51 million tons, of which approximately 1.96 million tons have been mined. The above data are calculated based on the mine's monthly production plan, tunneling plan, tunneling progress, underground weighing table, ore production table, etc. in the past years. The whistleblower
said that after this situation was reported to the Natural Resources Bureau of Wulatehou Banner in 2020, the local government opened a case for investigation, but only determined that 2,988.41 tons of ore was mined across the border in the South Mining Section. This is the tip of the iceberg of actual illegal mining.
A "Case Closing Approval Form" shows that on October 15, 2020, the Urad Rear Banner Natural Resources Bureau opened an investigation into the petition report. It was determined that lead and zinc mines were mined outside the scope of the mining license in the southern section of the mine. His behavior violated the provisions of Article 3 of the Mineral Resources Law of the People's Republic of China and Article 32 of the Mineral Resources Exploitation Registration and Management Measures of the People's Republic of China, which constituted cross-border mining. Relevant information shows that the amount of ore mined across the border identified at that time was 2,988.41 tons, and the amount of metal was 69.93 tons. On April 23, 2021, the law enforcement department confiscated 788,096 yuan of illegal income from cross-border mining and imposed an administrative penalty of 236,429 yuan on the mining area, and collected a total of 1,024,525 yuan in fines and confiscations.
The case was closed and the approval form was submitted.
The whistleblower said that the above penalties identified cross-border mining in the southern mine section, but did not punish unlicensed mining in the northern mine. In response to inspections, Zijin Company also temporarily blocked mining areas and faked landslides. According to the 2021 video provided by the whistleblower, construction workers said that in order to cope with inspections in the north mining section, bricks and other materials were prepared in the mine to block the entrance to the mine, and some of the workers' equipment was also blocked in the mine.
A reporter from Red Star News once participated in a discussion between the whistleblower and the relevant person in charge of the Urad Rear Banner Natural Resources Bureau. At that time, the person in charge explained that the Natural Resources Bureau commissioned a surveying company to measure the reported cross-border mining and unlicensed mining in the central and southern mining sections. In the end, it was only determined that there was cross-border mining in the southern mining section, and the mining volume was what was stated in the above information. The indicated 2988.41 tons. Then based on the valuable metal content in the ore and referring to the market price, the illegal income was calculated to be more than 780,000 yuan. Then a fine of no more than 30% was imposed in accordance with relevant regulations, which is a fine of more than 230,000 yuan. A total of 102.4525 fines and confiscations were collected. Ten thousand yuan.
The person in charge also said that at that time, the surveying company was unable to conduct measurements due to a landslide in the north mining section. For situations that cannot be measured, a third party is also asked to issue a safety evaluation report. Relevant safety assessment results show: "There are goafs around the connection road in the north mining section. The exposed area is large and the rock mass is unstable for a long time. It is not recommended to organize construction."
The whistleblower said that Zijin Mining may be involved in illegal mining of 1.63 billion
and may face Sky-high punishments
Two years later, the amount of unlicensed and cross-border mining reported by the whistleblower was confirmed during the petition process of the Central Ecological and Environmental Protection Supervision.
The investigation and verification released by the Ecological Environment Bureau of Bayannur City in Inner Mongolia shows that there is a problem of "illegal mining without a mining license." The mine is divided into two mining sections in the north and south. The south mining section is the south mining section of Sanguikou in the Dongshengmiao mining area of Wulatehou Banner. The mining license number is: C1000002012063210125506; the mining area is 2.2797 square kilometers; the mining types are zinc ore, lead ore, Pyrite; the mining right certificate is valid from June 6, 2012 to June 6, 2042. The northern mining section is the exploration of Sanguikou lead-zinc mine in Wulatehou Banner, Inner Mongolia. The exploration license number is: T15120100302039581; the exploration area is 3.9 square kilometers; the name of the exploration project is the exploration of Sanguikou lead-zinc mine in Wulatehou Banner, Inner Mongolia; the exploration license is valid for From December 8, 2019 to December 7, 2021. The question about “about 2.51 million tons of unlicensed mining in the northern mining section, about 1.96 million tons of ore, and about 46,500 tons of cross-border mining in the southern mining section” is basically true.
reported that the North Mining Section obtained a prospecting license on December 8, 2019, which was valid until December 7, 2021, and no mining license was issued after expiration. On April 3, 2022, the main leaders of the Wulatehou Banner Committee, the government, and staff of relevant departments conducted an in-depth on-site inspection underground and found that the roadway from the south mining section to the north mining section was blocked, and they were unable to enter the north mining section site.The informant
calculated that since the North Mining Section was mined in 2013, it has never obtained a mining license. It has mined 2.51 million tons and produced 1.96 million tons of ore. It is conservatively estimated that the illegal income has exceeded 1.6 billion yuan. 46,500 tons of cross-border mining in the southern mining section, with a conservative estimate of illegal income of more than 30 million. The informant told reporters that if according to the calculation of the response of the relevant person in charge of the Natural Resources Bureau, the confiscation of illegal income plus a penalty of 30%, 2988.41 tons of cross-border mining would be confiscated and fined more than 1.02 million yuan, then there would be more than 2.5 million tons of unlicensed and cross-border mining. , the amount of fines and confiscations may exceed 2 billion yuan.
The scope of the mining license of Sanguikou Mine, the red part is the northern mining section beyond the scope of the mining license
On April 14, a Red Star News reporter contacted a person in charge of the Natural Resources Bureau of Urad Rear Banner to ask about the next step in this case Handle the situation. He said he was only willing to explain in person. The reporter asked whether Zijin Mining would face sky-high fines, but the person in charge did not respond clearly.
On the same day, the reporter also tried to contact Zheng Moumou, general manager of Wulatehou Banner Zijin Company, and other leaders of Wulatehou Banner Zijin Mining to inquire about cooperation with the investigation, but no one answered the phone. Relevant questions listed in the reporter’s text messages were not responded to. A reporter from Red Star News called the headquarters of Zijin Mining. A staff member said: "I am not sure about this matter. Please pay attention to the company's announcement."
The whistleblower said that the company illegally mined 4.06 million tons without a safety license.
The local government said that it would be verified.
The whistleblower told Red Star Reporters, Zijin Mining’s Sanguikou lead-zinc mine still engages in illegal mining without obtaining a safety production license . Without a production safety license in the middle section below the 680m elevation and the middle section below the 580m elevation, approximately 6 million tons were mined and approximately 4.06 million tons of lead-zinc ore was mined.
In response to this, the above-mentioned notification stated that the Sanguikou iron (lead) zinc mine of Urad Houqi Zijin Mining Company still has the problem of "illegal mining without a safety license." The
report shows that the mine obtained the "Special Reply on Preliminary Design Safety" from the former Autonomous Region Work Safety Supervision and Administration Bureau in March 2013, and obtained the safety production license (above 680m) on December 18, 2015. On April 13, 2021, during an underground mining law enforcement inspection of the mine, the municipal emergency management department found that the mine illegally mined approximately 1.6325 million tons without obtaining a safety production license for a length of more than 580 meters. Violations will be punished with a fine of 1 million yuan, and the principal responsible person will be fined 30,000 yuan. On October 10, 2021, the company obtained the safety production license (above 580m).
reported that currently, the Wulatehou Banner Committee and the government are verifying whether the punishment is in place.
The local ecological environment bureau reported: There are ecologically damaging behaviors
The case has been clarified that the flag leader of the flag government is the responsible person and expedited processing
The whistleblower also reported to the Central Ecological and Environmental Protection Supervisor that there was a large amount of water inflow and drained water in Sanguikou Mine Direct discharge causes land salinization.
Bayannur City Ecological Environment Bureau reported that "the mine's water consumption in each mine is as high as 27,000 cubic meters per day. The dewatered water has been discharged directly into the piedmont plain without treatment for many years, causing serious damage to farmland, serious damage to underground water bodies and surface water bodies, leading to massive loss of groundwater, aggravating land salinization, and destroying the local ecosystem." This content is partially true. The
report shows that after investigation, Urad Houqi Zijin Mining Co., Ltd. used an average daily production water of 35,326 m³ from 2018 to 2021. It was recycled and used repeatedly after the mineral processing unit and tailings were precipitated, and 3,180 m³ was replenished through dewatering water every day. The daily average water inflow volume of mine is 7828m³. In addition to supplementing production water, the daily discharge is 4648m³.
reported that it was found that the company's dewatering water belongs to natural water inflow from mining fissures, and the background concentration of salt indicators such as chloride is 5000~7000mg/L. Drainage of dewatered water into the drain may result in elevated salinity levels in the soil and groundwater adjacent to the drain. By comparing the sampling monitoring data on April 2 with the current environmental assessment monitoring data (the current monitoring groundwater well at the time of the environmental impact assessment no longer exists, this sampling took the origin of the nearest water well), the total solubility of in groundwater wells near the drainage outlet was found The solid value is obviously high, and the value of total dissolved solids in the groundwater in the middle section of the Menghua branch ditch has no significant change.Therefore, the discharge of dewatering water will have an impact on the salinity of groundwater near the outlet, but will have little impact on the groundwater along the Menghua branch ditch.
Regarding the issue mentioned by the reporter of "serious damage to underground water bodies, resulting in massive loss of groundwater, serious damage to surface water bodies, and damage to the local ecosystem." The Bayannaoer City Ecological Environment Bureau states that the dewatering water is the natural inflow of water from mining fissures. From 2018 to 2021, the average annual total water volume of the dewatering water of Wulatehouqi Zijin Mining Co., Ltd. was 2.8574 million m³, and the average daily water output was 7828m³. , there is groundwater loss. In order to minimize the amount of water gushing from mines and improve the utilization of drained water resources, the company has invested a total of 211 million yuan to comprehensively control mine water gushing through measures such as underground grouting and sealing, building water treatment facilities, and increasing production reuse.
According to the "Environmental Risk Assessment Report on the Drainage Water Generated from the Sanguikou Mining Area of Urad Houqi Zijin Mining Co., Ltd. Discharged into the General Drainage" compiled by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, the drained water discharged by the company has been treated to reach After passing the " Surface Water Environmental Quality Standard " Class IV water standard, it can be comprehensively utilized as ecological water supply. The Wulatehou Banner Committee and the government are urging companies to speed up the implementation of water quality standard improvement projects.
Regarding the environmental impact assessment of the mine, the Bayannur City Ecological Environment Bureau stated that after verification, in October 2010, the "Urad Houqi Zijin Mining Co., Ltd.'s annual mining and processing of 3.3 million tons of lead and zinc" compiled by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences Mining Project Environmental Impact Report" (approval number: Neihuan Shen [2010] No. 217) is mainly based on the "Feasibility Study Report on the Lead-Zinc Mine in the Southern Section of Sanguikou, Dongshengmiao Mining Area, Wulatehou Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region". The mining area involved is 2.28 square kilometers, which is consistent with the scope of the mining license. The northern mining section has not yet carried out environmental impact assessment. When carrying out environmental impact assessment, corresponding environmental quality status monitoring and impact assessment will be carried out in accordance with relevant technical specifications and guidelines. predict. At present, the Discipline Inspection Commission of Wulatehou Banner has verified whether all previous environmental protection inspections are in place. The content and frequency of inspections are in compliance with management and law enforcement regulations. The
whistleblower also raised the issue of "extracting the rich and abandoning the poor, resulting in serious loss of national resources" in the mining of the mine. The local government verified the company's "Annual Reserve Report" and found that the company's recovery rate was 87.64%, which complied with the original Ministry of Land and Resources' lead-zinc mine mining recovery rate requirement of 75% to 92%. At present, the Discipline Inspection Commission of Wulatehou Banner has investigated the authenticity of the data. The legal mining part of the data is accurate, and the illegal mining part is still being further verified.
In addition, after the Urad Rear Banner received a letter from the Bayannur City Natural Resources Supervision and Supervision Office (Bazi Supervision Office [2022] No. 1) on February 16, 2022, it held a flag chief's office meeting on February 18 to conduct a special study "Zijin Mining's unlicensed mining" petition report matter, and the Natural Resources Bureau of Urad Rear Banner was instructed to entrust a qualified third-party agency to conduct on-site surveys and confirm the mining volume. On March 8, the Design and Research Institute of Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology was commissioned to investigate and verify the mining volume of the north mining section. Due to the impact of the epidemic, as well as uncertain factors such as underground tunnel collapse and geological environment, there are currently no conditions for in-depth exploration. Preliminary work such as program preparation and safety evaluation is currently being carried out, and it is planned to start the survey and detection procedures on April 20.
According to a report from the Bayannaoer Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, the flag leader of the flag government has been identified as the person responsible for the case. The investigation and handling of the petition issue will be accelerated and is expected to be completed before November 30, 2022.
html On April 15, Zijin Mining (601899) announced that its holding subsidiary Urad Rear Banner Zijin Mining Co., Ltd. has recently been reported to have unlicensed cross-border mining and has been investigated by the Urad Rear Banner Public Security Bureau.According to the announcement, Zijin Mining said that after the company’s preliminary understanding, the northern and southern mining sections of the Sanguikou zinc (lead) mine are the same ore body. In 2012, Wuhou Zijin applied for the mining rights to combine the northern and southern mining sections. The exploration level of the mining section is low, and only the mining rights of the southern mining section have been obtained; Wuhou Zijin conducted supplementary exploration of the northern mining section in 2012, obtained the resource reserve registration certificate in September 2013, and began to apply for mining rights multiple times. Due to mining policies Due to various factors such as environmental and human factors, the northern mining section has never obtained mining rights. Before 2018, by-product ores were recovered during the exploration process, and there were situations of exploration instead of mining and some cross-border mining.
At present, Wuhou Zijin has been reported to be suspected of illegal mining. The Ulathou Banner Public Security Bureau has opened a case and relevant departments have intervened in the investigation. The nature and circumstances of the violation still need to be confirmed by the relevant departments. Our company attaches great importance to this and has instructed Wuhou Zijin to actively cooperate with the investigation of judicial authorities or competent authorities, and to carry out comprehensive legal compliance inspections in the owned enterprises.
After the Zijin Mining announcement was issued, the whistleblower expressed doubts about the statement in the announcement that exploration was used to recover by-product ores. The informant stated that the geological reserves of the north mining section are 6.01 million tons and the by-product ore is 1.9 million tons, which does not meet the situation of using exploration instead of mining to recover the by-product ore. The exploration tunnel exceeds 2 meters × 2 meters, which is mining rather than prospecting.
Red Star News reporter Wu Yang
editor Chen Yixi
(Download Red Star News, and you will get prizes for reporting information!)
