China Launches Campaign to Regulate Rare Earth Production

China has cracked down on rare earth production deemed not to be in line with government regulations, as the excessive exploitation of rare earths and environmentally destructive production techniques pose serious threats to the nation's environment.

CRI's Wei Tong has more.

According to a campaign initiated by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, rare earth producers with no directive production plan, which exceed production quotas and continuously use environmentally damaging production techniques will be forced to halt their operations or face having their quotas and licenses cancelled.

A small town in southern China's Hunan province has been severely polluted by the waste from nearby rare earth mines.

"The rice paddies are filled with polluted water, which is dark black in color. We cannot grow anything here."

"The water is too filthy to be used for laundry or bathing. The smell is terrible, so bad that it's suffocating."

Li Xuerong, a senior researcher from China's Industry Consulting (CIC) Research Center says pollution from rare earth production has led to environmental degradation.

"China suffers serious environmental pollution from mining rare metals. The acid which remains in the soil can kill plants and insects and disrupt the ecosystem. What's worse, the solid waste from rare earth mines is radioactive, threatening the health of individuals. Over-mining can also lead to soil erosion and landslides in mountainous areas. "

Since a lot of money is required to deal with the waste and sewage produced by extraction, many Chinese rare earth producers, especially the private ones, are reluctant to do so. However, their misbehavior is a result of trying to cater to the needs of some foreign importers. Manager Liu from a rare earth production company expressed his worry over the issue.

"Some German and Japanese high-tech companies import rare earths from China as raw materials and use them in the manufacturing of high-end products. There is little pollution in this process. But pollution is unimaginably serious in the initial stage of rare earth extraction, which occurs in China. It is not worth damaging our environment in exchange for high foreign earnings, as far as I'm concerned."

Su Lifeng, an expert on non-ferrous metals suggests that unqualified rare earth producers must be stopped at once.

"The campaign aims to halt unqualified rare earth producers and encourage those with environmentally-friendly techniques in the production process. Production in less competitive companies will be suspended under the tougher environmental standards."

Rare earths, a group of 17 metals, are among the most sought-after resources in modern manufacturing. They are vital materials for the manufacture of sophisticated products ranging from electric car batteries to aerospace alloys. More than 90 percent of rare earths on the international market come from China.

For CRI, this is Wei Tong.