The number of tailings ponds in China has dropped to 4919, a decrease of 32.4% compared with 2020.

On April 8, it was learned from the media briefing on the safety management of tailings ponds held by the State Administration of Mine Work Safety that as of now, there are 4919 tailings ponds under safety supervision and supervision nationwide, a decrease of 32.4% compared with 2020. The proportion of large and medium-sized tailings ponds of third-class and above has increased from 8.5% in 2020 to 19.5%, and the number of "overhead ponds" has dropped by 40.1% compared with 2020.

Since 2020, the national mine safety supervision, local safety supervision and other departments have forced the implementation of the main responsibilities of tailings pond enterprises, effectively improving the level of safety risk prevention and control in tailings ponds across the country. There have been no fatalities in tailings ponds in China for seven consecutive years, and no major accidents in tailings ponds have occurred for 16 consecutive years, achieving overall controllability of safety risks in tailings ponds across the country.

The State Administration of Mine Work Safety has established and strictly implemented the responsibility system for ensuring production safety for local government leaders and heads of tailings pond enterprises, improved and improved systems such as grading and territorial supervision of tailings pond risks, and established a responsibility system for preventing and defusing tailings pond safety risks.

Strictly control the source, promote the introduction of methods for closing and canceling tailings ponds in 29 provincial-level regions involved in tailings ponds, vigorously promote the closing and canceling of tailings ponds, and comprehensively improve the intrinsic safety level of tailings ponds.

Strengthen infrastructure construction, improve and improve the safety regulations and standard system of tailings ponds, refine and standardize the safety technical management of tailings ponds, further promote the construction of dual prevention mechanisms, improve the monitoring and early warning capabilities of tailings ponds, and further consolidate the safety foundation of tailings ponds.

Focus on major risks, focus on carrying out special actions for the investigation and management of hidden risks in tailings ponds, special rectification actions for major hidden dangers in tailings ponds, etc., solve a number of outstanding problems, vigorously promote the closure and cancellation of "overhead warehouses", and at the same time strengthen the implementation of flood season early warning response mechanisms to ensure that tailings pond enterprises survive the flood season safely.

Strictly enforce law enforcement inspections, increase law enforcement against illegal activities such as key periods such as flood seasons, key objects such as "overhead warehouses", construction and construction without approval, continue to maintain a high-pressure and strict management posture, and severely crack down on tailings ponds Illegal activities.

In the next step, the State Administration of Mine Work Safety will continue to make efforts in implementing responsibilities, source control, monitoring and early warning, etc. to prevent and resolve safety risks in tailings ponds, promote the fundamental elimination of hidden dangers of accidents, and fundamentally solve problems. At the same time, focus on the current top priority during the flood season to ensure that the tailings ponds survive the flood safely.