At a press conference on the 29th regarding the investigation and rectification of environmental safety hazards related to heavy metals and the high-quality development of the non-ferrous and critical metals industries in Guangxi, it was reported that since Guangxi launched a ten-year retroactive campaign to crack down on environmental pollution involving heavy metals and illegal mining, as well as a three-year campaign to combat organized crime, a total of 56 cases have been filed for environmental pollution involving heavy metals, and 299 cases have been filed for illegal mining. Guangxi has pursued compensation for ecological and environmental damages in accordance with the law, handling 126 public interest litigation cases related to environmental pollution involving heavy metals and illegal mining, and recovering 1.1 billion yuan in compensation for ecological and environmental damages.

Known as the "Land of Non-Ferrous Metals," Guangxi is a resource-rich region for non-ferrous metal minerals in China, boasting a wide variety of mineral resources with substantial reserves. The region has a long history of mining, mineral processing, and smelting, and has made significant contributions to the national strategic resource supply and local economic and social development over the years. However, due to factors such as development models and industrial structure, some ecological and environmental issues have accumulated during the exploitation and utilization of mineral resources. Environmental safety hazards related to heavy metals cannot be overlooked and have become a prominent weakness hindering the continuous improvement of the ecological environment and affecting people's well-being.

According to the report, since 2025, in accordance with the national action plan, Guangxi has completed phased objectives such as the investigation of environmental hazards related to heavy metals, risk assessments, and the rectification of pollution sources. Incidents of heavy metal pollution have been effectively curbed. Following the requirements of the national action plan and Guangxi’s action plan, relevant departments in Guangxi have focused on seven key river basins, including the Diaojiang, Dahuanjiang, and Xialei rivers; 14 key industries, such as non-ferrous metal mining and processing, non-ferrous metal smelting, and electrolytic manganese production; seven key areas, including heavy metal-related enterprises, mines, and tailings ponds; and ten key heavy metal categories, including lead and arsenic. A total of 1,919 pollution sources related to heavy metals requiring rectification have been identified through investigations.

Among these, 1,564 pollution sources that could be rectified immediately were addressed promptly, eliminating a number of risks and hazards. For the 355 pollution sources that could not be rectified immediately, environmental risk assessments were conducted, classifying them into "high, medium, and low" risk levels. Tailored rectification plans were developed on a "one enterprise, one policy" basis, and classified rectification measures were implemented to steadily advance the systematic management of heavy metal pollution.