英语新闻丨Campaign to prevent coal mine accidents

China is launching a campaign targeting production safety accidents in coal mines following a newly enacted administrative regulation focused on the problem.

中国正在开展一场针对煤矿生产安全事故的运动，此前刚刚颁布了一项针对这一问题的行政法规。

The regulation was passed at the executive meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet, last December and will be implemented in May.

该条例于2023年12月在国务院常务会议上通过，将于2024年5月实施。

Huang Jinsheng, head of the National Mine Safety Administration, said at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office on Sunday that coal mining, a traditionally high-risk industry, has always been a priority for production safety officials.

2024年2月4日，国家矿山安全监察局局长黄锦生在国务院新闻办举行的新闻发布会上表示，煤矿作为传统的高危行业，一直是生产安全官员的首要关注点。

He emphasized that as the nation seeks to further its socioeconomic development, there have been outstanding issues in coal mine production, such as the "inadequate implementation of safety production responsibilities, incomplete investigations, lax oversight of risks and hidden dangers, and an imperfect management system".

他强调，随着国家寻求进一步的社会经济发展，煤矿生产中存在一些突出问题，如“安全生产责任制落实不到位、调查不全面、风险监管松懈、隐患多、管理制度不完善”等。

The latest regulation was formulated against this backdrop, said Huang, noting that it's a foundational regulation in mining production safety, comprehensively summarizing the results of safety work in the field in recent years.

黄锦生说，该条例就是在此背景下制定的。它是煤矿安全生产的基础性法规，全面总结了近年来该领域安全工作的成果。

"The adoption of the regulation will help further implement the primary responsibility of coal mine enterprises in terms of safety production, and further strengthen supervision and monitoring responsibilities," he said.

他说：“该条例的通过将有助于进一步落实煤矿企业在安全生产方面的主体责任，进一步加强监督和监测责任。” 

Production accidents in coal mines across the country have occurred frequently in recent times.

近期，全国各地煤矿生产事故频发。

In November, there was a major gas explosion at a coal mine in Heilongjiang province. The following month in Heilongjiang, there was an underground mine cart accident at another mine. The combined accidents resulted in 23 deaths and 13 injuries.

11月，黑龙江省一煤矿发生重大瓦斯爆炸事故。12月，黑龙江另一煤矿发生井下矿车事故。两起事故共造成23人死亡，13人受伤。

Also last month, another explosion happened at a coal mine in Henan province, causing 16 fatalities.

就在上个月，河南省一煤矿又发生爆炸事故，造成16人死亡。

According to the nation's chief mining production regulator, the regulation clearly stipulates that coal mine production should prioritize people's lives and property, adhering to the principle of "safety first".

据国家煤矿生产监管部门负责人介绍，该条例明确规定，煤矿生产应当优先保障人民群众生命财产安全，坚持“安全第一”的原则。

The regulation requires coal mine enterprises to regularly conduct safety inspections of their mines, marking the first time the relationship between coal mine enterprises and mines has been explicitly defined in administrative regulations.

该条例要求煤矿企业定期对所属煤矿进行安全检查，这是行政法规中首次明确界定煤矿企业与煤矿之间的关系。

The regulation also specifically demands that governments at the county level and above supervise and inspect coal mine enterprises, especially front-line production workplaces, said Huang, stressing that doing so increases the accountability of government officials.

黄锦生说，该条例还特别要求县级以上政府监督和检查煤矿企业，特别是一线生产场所，这样做提高了政府官员的责任感。

It's worth noting some local governments have allowed mines lacking safety guarantees to operate to ensure coal production and supply. Some grassroots governments "turn a blind eye" to illegal activities in coal mines within their jurisdictions, "even providing protection", according to another senior mining supervision official.

值得注意的是，一些地方政府允许缺乏安全保障的矿山继续运营，以确保煤炭的生产和供应。另一位高级矿业监管官员表示，一些基层政府对辖区内煤矿的非法活动“视而不见”，“甚至提供保护”。

Zhou Dechang, deputy head of the NMSA, underscored that safety must come first before ensuring coal production and supply.

国家矿山安全监察局副局长周德昶强调，在确保煤炭生产和供应之前，安全必须放在首位。

"They (local governments) cannot knowingly allow mines with significant safety risks to operate without shutting them down. Once a production safety accident occurs, ensuring coal mine production and supply is not an excuse to evade accident responsibility," he said.

周德昶表示：“他们（地方政府）不能明知矿山存在重大安全隐患而允许其继续运营而不关闭。一旦发生生产安全事故，确保煤矿生产和供应并不是逃避事故责任的借口。”

"Those who are directly responsible must be held accountable, and those suspected of illegal crimes should be transferred to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution."

“对直接负责的人员必须追究责任，对涉嫌违法犯罪的人员应当移送司法机关追究刑事责任。”

Some local coal mine enterprises prefer to pay the relatively low cost of the fines rather than comply with the law, production regulators said.

生产监管部门表示，一些地方煤矿企业宁愿支付相对较低的罚款，也不愿遵守法律，。

Xue Jianguang, director for policy and regulation at the NMSA, said penalties imposed by previous laws and regulations were too light.

国家矿山安全监察局政策法规处处长薛剑光表示，此前法律法规规定的处罚过轻。

To address this, the regulation further increases the cost of illegal activities for enterprises, including raising the minimum amount of fines, Xue said.

薛剑光说，为了解决这一问题，该条例进一步增加了企业的违法成本，包括提高罚款的最低数额。

"According to China's Production Safety Law, the minimum fines for enterprises involved in minor accidents is 300,000 yuan ($42,100); in relatively big accidents, 1 million yuan; and in major accidents 2 million yuan," he said. "The new regulation raises these minimum fines to 500,000 yuan for minor accidents, 1.5 million yuan for relatively big ones and 5 million yuan for major ones."

“根据《中国安全生产法》，对发生一般事故的企业的最低罚款为30万元（4.21万美元）；发生较大事故的，罚款100万元；发生重大事故的，罚款200万元， 新条例将这些最低罚款提高到一般事故50万元，较大事故150万元，重大事故500万元。”

Coal Mine Production Safety Accidents

煤矿生产安全事故 

Judicial Prosecution

司法追究