Mines getting greener despite challenges(2)

The majority of China's mineral resources are extracted by small and lean mines, which produce massive pollutants and use out-of-date machinery, said Shi Jingxi, an official with the China Mining Association.

Green mines need advanced technological innovation and the upgrading of production facilities, which small mines often struggle to afford, he said.

Meanwhile, even those pioneers with the reputation of "national-level green mine pilot enterprises" are facing mounting market pressures.

"The price we pay is far more than the market cost," said Yao Shaowu, general manager of Huzhou Xinkaiyuan Crushed Stones Co. Ltd., adding that lack of policy support is a big headache.

Compared with enterprises who spend the bare minimum on environmental protection, Yao's enterprise lost out.

Yao's company has invested a lot of money in environmental protection efforts and owes 26 patents concerned with resources, energy conservation, reduction of emissions and cleaner production.

However, Yao failed to persuade the local government to list his company as a hi-tech company, which can enjoy preferential taxation policies.

Zhao Quanhou, director of the financial research office of the Research Institute for Fiscal Science at the Ministry of Finance, called for more pilot enterprises and more green mine funding.