In today’s world, where green development is increasingly emphasized, faced with the trade-off between resources and the environment, Changxing County in Zhejiang Province adheres to the philosophy that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” The county has adopted an approach of ecologically sound mining practices—planting greenery in people’s hearts, restoring greenery to the mountains, and bringing prosperity to the people. By employing timely and rigorous oversight, it has proactively developed green mines and implemented comprehensive supervision over construction plans, construction processes, and remedial measures, thereby achieving a win-win outcome for both resource utilization and environmental protection.

　　Changxing County is a major mining county located in northern Zhejiang Province. The mines in the county are predominantly non-metallic open-pit mines. From 2008 to the end of 2017, the county had cumulatively established more than 60 green mines at the county level or above. Among the 19 operating mines, 18 have been developed into green mines at or above the city level, achieving a completion rate of 94.7%.

　　Over the past two years, Changxing County has been committed to developing “ecology-plus” integrated complexes, harmoniously integrating the “Two Mountains Theory” with the development of the service economy and embedding it into every aspect of mine construction.

　　Prioritize ecological awareness and tailor-make detailed plans for green mine development specifically for enterprises.

　　The “ecological awareness first” approach adopted by relevant departments in Changxing County and government agencies at all levels has become a key driving force behind the development of green mines.

　　From the very outset of mining rights approval, the county has clearly defined the objectives and tasks for green mine construction by mining enterprises, thereby encouraging newly established mines to adopt a green development mindset and pursue a path of green construction from the earliest stages of mine development.

　　At the beginning of each year, Changxing County assigns green mine construction tasks to various townships (subdistricts and industrial parks) and government departments. The competent division of the County Bureau of Natural Resources and the local land resource offices share joint responsibility for the green mine construction tasks within their jurisdictions, and they also share the credit for achievements, thus creating a collaborative management environment. While inspecting mines, the county also closely monitors the progress of green mine construction as well as the status of rectifications and improvements.

　　The Changxing County Bureau of Land and Resources has learned that once a mine enters the trial-production phase, it typically generates significant economic benefits, making this period the most favorable time for mining enterprises to invest. During this phase, the Bureau tailors a detailed “Green Mine Construction Plan” specifically for each mine, breaking down tasks into precise milestones—such as when to complete each stage and when to achieve specific vegetation coverage areas. The Bureau also implements monthly face-to-face communication with those responsible for the mines, conducts bi-weekly checks on key performance indicators, and carries out on-site inspections for supervision. Furthermore, if a task is not completed by the deadline, the Bureau issues a notice requiring immediate corrective action within a specified timeframe.

　　Encourage enterprises to bring in third parties and step up infrastructure development at mining sites.

　　For mines with strong technical capabilities, mine managers need to understand the implementation requirements of relevant policies and ensure that these requirements are met according to the planned milestones through supervision and corrective actions. Therefore, they have innovatively brought in third-party experts to step up the development of mine infrastructure. As for mines with relatively weaker technical capacities, tasks such as vegetation restoration, road hardening, and especially slope rehabilitation and remediation, all require greater technical support from third parties.

　　Meanwhile, vegetation greening efforts must take into account artistry and aesthetic appeal; road paving needs to be enhanced in terms of technical expertise and stability; and slope restoration and remediation must ensure safety. All of these also require guidance from a third party.

　　In 2017, Tongrun Mining, Denning Mining, and Zhenping Mining—mining enterprises in the county that had passed the green mine certification—entrusted third-party contractors with professional qualifications to carry out tasks such as road hardening and slope stabilization. As a result, the quality of their projects was rapidly upgraded. Meanwhile, their investments in scientific research, optimized resource utilization, and innovation all exceeded 1.5% of their previous year’s main business revenue.

　　Currently, these three mines have become model projects for green mine development in the county.

　　Create highlights to “add points” to green mine construction.

　　Only by breaking away from conventional approaches can we truly grasp the essence of green mine construction.

　　The construction of green mines in each category is subject to specific requirements and scoring criteria. Guiding mines to adhere to these standards helps them stay on track with the core objectives of green mine development. More importantly, it encourages proactive cultivation of ecosystems and creation of standout features, thereby adding extra points to the overall green mine development effort.

　　To this end, the county’s Bureau of Land and Resources has stepped up its guidance in this area. For example, it has guided Denning Mining to install dust-control facilities, implement standardized management at the wharf, and greenify temporarily stockpiled earth. Meanwhile, Tongrun Mining has greened the previously treated southern slope, northern terraces, and access roads leading into the mine. Zhenping Mining has innovatively installed an advanced drainage system. All these measures have made mine management more standardized and the ecological environment more harmonious, truly impressing the experts on the acceptance team and injecting fresh momentum into the “Ecology Plus” initiative.

　　Recently, Denning Mining has completed the construction of a clean water reuse facility that annually treats approximately 200,000 tons of wastewater, reusing about 150,000 tons of clean water and recovering roughly 50,000 tons of sludge. Through processes such as sedimentation and pressure filtration, the treated clean water can be used for dust suppression via water spraying and slope maintenance. It can also be recycled for use in unit processing and production, thereby achieving closed-loop water utilization. The sludge, after being dried, is used as soil for mine reclamation, enabling the facility to achieve “zero” emissions.

　　The new “Ecology Plus” integrated model, built by Changxing County around the concept of green mines, has attracted mining enterprises and mineral resource regulators from across the country to visit and learn from its approach. Over 20 delegations from provinces including Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi have come to Changxing to study and exchange experiences. Today, the “Ecology Plus” philosophy of green mining has been deeply ingrained in the hearts and practices of Changxing, paving the way for new approaches to future mineral resource management.