A spillage of waste molybdenum ore in northeast China last month was the biggest tailings leak the country witnessed in almost 20 years and needed the toughest environmental emergency response, the environment ministry said on Monday.
The incident on March 28 in Heilongjiang province sent 2.53-million cubic meters of water containing waste molybdenum ore – mined for the metal used in stainless steel and tools – into the local river system, reviving fears over the safety of ponds used for tailings.