China will shut more than 1,000 coal mines across four provinces.

The nation currently runs about 9,620 coal mines, but recently announced it will not approve any new coal mines over the next three years.
With incredibly vast stockpiles already sitting idle, China is dramatically reducing it production.

The closure will come from mines in the Yunnan, Jiangxi and Guizhou provinces in the south, and the Heilongjian province in the north, according to China Daily.

China’s deputy director for the State Administration of Work Safety, Huang Yuzhi, says it will still production and stockpile targets, and will mostly be closing smaller mines.

“More than 1,300 coal mines were closed last year, and small coal mines with a scale of annual production of less than 300,000 tons that had major accidents will be gradually closed this year, as well as those mines that are operating illegally,” Huang said.