Joint inspections to target pollution in mines were launched Thursday by three different government bodies.

The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), the Ministry of Land and Resources and the State Administration of Work Safety will send four inspection teams to carry out a 40-day inspection tour.

Target regions include eight provinces. North China's Shanxi Province where there are myriad coal mines is one of them.

The inspection follows a previous nationwide campaign last May.

At that time, the three government bodies ordered local environment, land and resources, and work safety authorities across the country to end illegal mining in regions where mining is prohibited and said they would hold mining companies at bay for polluting activities.

The newly-launched inspection is to improve the work of local authorities and study the status quo of the environment of mines, while discussions are expected to be held with local governments on how to solve problems such as rebuilding the environment at abandoned mines, said Jing Dongxia with SEPA environment inspection bureau.

In recent years, ecological damage and environmental pollution caused by mining have become more and more serious and the lives of people living nearby have been greatly affected.

The situation is worse when mining companies are privately owned or run by townships, many of which pay little attention to environmental protection, Jing said.

For example, many small mining companies in Dabaoshan metal mines in Shaoguan, South China's Guangdong Province, discharge sewage without any treatment.

Water there is so polluted that the incidence rate of cancer is very high, she said.

"It is hard to phase out the production of those small companies, which just stop production when inspection teams come and resume operations after the teams go," Jing said.

An effective way to stop operations is for land and resources authorities to refrain from granting mining certificates to polluting companies, she said.

"Departments involved should strengthen their coordination in this regard," she added.

(China Daily September 3, 2004)