Zijin Mining Group has been ordered to pay a fine of $4.6 million for the toxic spills in the Fujian province originating from its properties. The spill at the Zijinshan Gold and Copper Mine which occurred a year ago poisoned a river and killed many fish besides devastating the area.
At that time a vice president of the company, the manager of the mine, the deputy manager and the environmental protection officer at the mine had been detained in connection with the incident. The five of them were given prison terms ranging from 3 years to 4 and half years.
Now the court has ordered the company to pay the 30 million yuan fine after deducting the administrative fees that it has already paid. The Longyan City Intermediate People's Court gave the ruling after it rejected the company’s appeal against the fine which it received in a previous ruling from the district court.
Zijin Mining Group is amongst the largest gold producers in China and had first received the order of the fine from the Xinluo District Court in January 2011. The waste water leak that had acidic copper was caused due to poor maintenance of the plant’s tanks as per the follow up investigation. Zijin has publicly apologized and acknowledged a waste pond at the mine was improperly built and operated, causing accidents on July 3 and July 16, 2010.