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The town of Bor in Serbia has a decades-old air pollution problem due to its proximity to one of Europe’s largest copper mines.

Excessive amounts of sulphur dioxide, a by-product produced by the copper smelting plant, have threatened the health of its inhabitants and those living in nearby towns and villages.

But now, for the first time in the town’s long history, this problem is about to be solved thanks to Chinese company Zijin Mining, which acquired the mine and its facilities in 2018.

The company has promised to invest heavily in eco-revitalization projects and, as soon as possible, start cutting emissions in line with EU standards. This was long-awaited news for the residents of Bor, who breathe one of the worst atmospheres in Europe.

After Zijin took over the mine, due to the old technology already installed in the smelter, the amounts of sulphur dioxide continued to exceed acceptable levels.

But when the first round of investment began, Zijin paid around $750 million to rejuvenate the plant.

Of this sum, $126 million was used to address the environmental problem. The first results of this effort should be felt this August, according to Jian Ximing, general manager of Serbia’s Zijin Copper.