BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- China to close down 70 percent of small-sized coal mines by 2010 and shut all down by 2015, the Ministry of Land and Resources said here Wednesday.

    China now has about 24,000 small coal mines with an annual production output ranging from 10,000 tons to 30,000 tons each, accounting for 70 percent of its coal mines, according to official figures.

    However, small coal mines have caused not only grave resource waste, with a low rate of recovery, which is averaged between 10 percent to 15 percent, but also serious pollution and a higher incidence of accidents, posing a long-standing problem. Enditem