China: China Rare Earth Jiangxi Company staff alleged of obstructing reporting on mining pollution
"Poisoned water and scarred hills: The price of the rare earth metals the world buys from China" 7 Aug 2025, BBC News
[...] in the mining hub of Ganzhou, small, circular concrete ponds full of toxic waste sit on top of steep, eroded hilltops [...].
These are "leaching ponds", where miners inject tonnes of ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, and other chemicals into the earth to separate the rare earth metals from the surrounding soil.
Local farmer Huang Xiaocong, whose land is surrounded by four rare earth sites, believes landslides are still being triggered by improper mining practices.
He has also accused the state-owned company of grabbing land illegally. The firm refused to answer the BBC’s questions.
During our interview with Mr Huang, we were surrounded by men wearing uniforms branded with what appeared to be the logo of the same rare earth company. At least 12 other men used their vehicles to block our car from leaving.
Eventually, someone who identified himself as a local manager of China Rare Earth Jiangxi Company arrived. He confronted Mr Huang and us, and wouldn’t let us leave for nearly three hours, despite our attempts to negotiate and our offers to hear his argument.