After the report was published, Huazhou immediately convened a special rectification meeting, pointing out that the functional departments were responsible.
■ News Follow-up
South China Morning Post (Reporter/Tang Kaifeng Intern/Xu Bo) Yesterday, South China Morning Post published an article titled "Excessive Titanium Mining: 5000 Mu of Farmland Destroyed in Huazhou" (see A08 of yesterday's edition), which reported on the serious damage caused to farmland and the environment in Pingding Town due to excessive titanium mining. The report drew high attention from Huazhou Party Secretary Qin Gang and others. Yesterday, Huazhou Party Deputy Secretary and Mayor Huang Congnan specially presided over a meeting to discuss measures to address the destruction of farmland caused by illegal titanium mining in Pingding.
The meeting emphasized that all levels of departments in Huazhou should deeply understand the severity of illegal titanium mining in Pingding. Illegal titanium mining has severely affected the lives of local residents, and relevant government functional departments bear inescapable responsibilities. Currently, Huazhou's leading officials have specifically instructed the vice mayor in charge to quickly establish a task force to combat illegal titanium mining in Pingding Town. This task force includes the Procuratorate, Court, Public Security Bureau, Supervision Department, and others who will investigate relevant responsible departments related to Pingding's titanium mining.
The special rectification meeting also stated that all levels of Huazhou departments will take strong actions to comprehensively rectify the chaotic and excessive titanium mining activities in Pingding. First, all mining sites will be shut down for comprehensive rectification, and all illegal mining sites will be legally and regulation-compliantly closed, including the originally licensed four enterprises. Second, the responsibility of local governments will be enforced, and if anyone is found secretly mining, they will be severely punished, with responsibility clearly assigned to town and village cadres. Third, a specialized team to combat illegal titanium mining in Pingding Town will immediately enter Pingding to assist in the rectification work. Fourth, supervisory personnel will be set up at both the town and village levels, extensive publicity campaigns will be conducted, and a long-term reporting and supervision mechanism will be established.
Yesterday, according to Huazhou’s relevant responsible person, in recent years, the Huazhou Municipal Party Committee and Government have always paid high attention to the supervision of Pingding's titanium mines. However, due to the skyrocketing prices of titanium ore in recent years and the drive for profit, illegal titanium mining has shown signs of resurgence.
Due to the influence of the skyrocketing price of titanium ore and the drive for profit, since 2007, some people have used the guise of restoring old mine sites to conduct illegal titanium mining activities in places such as Luzueng, Dipo, Xinhua, Mali, Wangdong, Jitian, and Nabin within Pingding Town. Currently, illegal secret mining still exists despite repeated crackdowns in the Pingding mining area.
In response, Huazhou's relevant responsible person expressed that during this special rectification campaign, they will establish a long-term supervision mechanism through methods such as public reporting. Once illegal mining is reported by the public, it will be strictly investigated and dealt with.
■ Letter from Villagers: Hope for Scientific Development of Titanium Mines
Yesterday, some villagers from Pingding Town specially called our newspaper to express their gratitude for the Southern Daily's report and hope that the government can effectively solve their problems regarding farmland and the environment. The villagers also frankly stated that their appeal to the media is not to ban titanium mining but rather to orderly introduce better development enterprises. As titanium mines are local assets, the government should scientifically develop them under the premise of protecting farmland and the environment, allowing local residents to share in the benefits of titanium mine development.
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