The tailings‑pond environmental supervision system, independently developed by the Satellite Environmental Application Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, has recently completed its system architecture design and initial development phases and is set to be deployed across provinces and municipalities nationwide. This initiative will effectively advance the digitalization of tailings management, elevate local tailings‑pond information‑based governance to a new level, and further enhance the precision and scientific rigor of national environmental oversight of tailings ponds.

 

 

　　According to reports, in February 2021, the Satellite Environmental Application Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment independently funded the development of an environmental monitoring system for tailings ponds, in response to the need for identifying potential pollution risks, updating regulatory checklists, and implementing end-to-end oversight of tailings flows.
　　
　　At present, the platform has completed pilot deployments in three river basins—namely the Yellow River, Taihu Lake, and the Haihe River. Following an optimization and refinement process informed by user feedback, it now supports functions such as tailings‑pond information management, dynamic classification and grading adjustments, on‑site inspections, identification of potential pollution risks, full‑process monitoring of tailings, statistical analysis, spatial visualization, and risk assessment. Adopting a modular development approach, the platform is highly scalable and enables nationwide informatization, standardization, and scientific management of tailings ponds.
　　
　　The newly issued Measures for the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution from Tailings propose requirements for classified and graded environmental oversight of tailings ponds, while also introducing new standards for information‑based management and encouraging innovative regulatory approaches. Furthermore, the Measures establish a system of classified and graded environmental supervision and management for tailings ponds, prioritizing key areas and concentrating resources on those with particularly high environmental risks, thereby enhancing regulatory effectiveness and strengthening safeguards against environmental hazards. Accordingly, the platform’s dynamically adjusted classification and grading feature is designed to support applications and reviews related to changes in a tailings pond’s environmental supervision level—such as downgrading, removal from the list, or inclusion—and to facilitate on‑site verification, enabling digitalized management of classified and graded environmental oversight and real‑time monitoring of the latest conditions at each tailings pond. This functionality will be made available following the identification and assessment of potential pollution risks at tailings ponds.
　　
　　It is reported that the Satellite Environmental Application Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will increase funding to develop classification‑based, tiered regulatory mechanisms and information‑updating capabilities for tailings ponds. The platform’s scope of application will continue to expand, and, building on this foundation, a unified national integrated information platform for tailings environmental regulation will be progressively refined. This platform will enable the integration, analysis, application, and sharing of tailings‑related data, thereby supporting precise, full‑lifecycle oversight of tailings management.