Tailings dam failure heightens scrutiny of Chinese mines

A tailings dam failure at Tonglvshan copper mine in Huangshi in China’s Hubei province resulted in two deaths in March 2017. The local government launched immediate safety inspections of all tailings dams in Huangshi. More stringent environmental legislation and mine safety inspections have been introduced by the government in the past two years and Chinese base metal mine production has been impacted, especially for zinc and lead. There is a risk the accident at Tonglvshan will lead to further tightening of environmental and safety regulations and mine inspections across a broader area.