2010-07-19 11:51

Zijin Mining Group Co, China's largest gold producer, said that it is required to close a copper plant in Shanghang, Fujian province, after a "substantial leakage of waste water" was discovered by a government team of investigators.

A plant manager, deputy plant manager and environmental safety officer of the Zijinshan Copper Mine plant were detained by police, the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange today. Duties of the deputy plant manager and environmental safety officer were suspended, the statement said.

An investigation team, made up of Ministry of Environmental Protection and local government officials, found the discharge resulted from an illegally installed pipe allowing waste to enter the river directly. Zijin has been ordered to repair the problem and "enhance" leak prevention measures, the statement said.

The company had planned to produce 13,000 tons of copper at the plant this year, the statement said. The company's total copper production target for 2010 is 100,000 tons, it said.