Pinggang coal mine from the state-owned Longmay Group on the outskirts of Jixi, in Heilongjiang province, China. "A completely closed management system covering the production, transportation and storage of coal will be implemented so that 'coal is extracted but not seen'," the document added. China's smog-prone capital Beijing has already shut down all its coal-fired power stations, while the surrounding province of Hebei has promised to shut 51 million tonnes of annual coal production over the 2016-2020 period. The land ministry said raw coal washing rates would be raised to 100% at new mines, while waste water recovery rates would be brought above 85%. Coal mines would be forced to set up dedicated research and development platforms funded with no less than 1% of the mine's income in the previous year, and will have to address training for workers and work-related illnesses.

Source: Bangkok Post May 11, 2017 01:52 UTC