Guangdong to shut down entire coal industry
The provincial government of southern China's Guangdong province has shut down 112 mines since a flood in the Daxing Coal Mine in killed 123 miners in August, and the province's remaining 141 mines are due to be closed down soon. The closures, which would bring an end to Guangzhou's coal mining industry, are part of a nationwide initiative to improve the country's abysmal mine safety record. At the beginning of this month, the State Administration of Work Safety of Coal Mines decided to shut down around 7'000 mines that were deemed unsafe. The closures of Guangdong's 253 mines will have a minimal impact on China's overall output. Guangdong accounted for only 8 million tons of China's of 1.9 billion tons of coal produced last year. Nevertheless, the workers of these mines are worried about the shut downs because finding another job may not be easy for them. Guangdong officials said the province would set aside a special fund to help miners transfer their jobs. Meanwhile, at a press conference held yesterday, China's National Development and Reform Commission said that the country's energy problems might worsen because of high oil prices. Therefore, the commission indicated that they would accelerate nuclear power, renewable energy and hydropower projects. The commission also allocated RMB 32.1 billion ($3.94 billion) to upgrade safety in the state-owned mines.