When it came to this topic, there was no getting around the policies on mining in District 019.
District 019 had relied on gemstone exports to develop its economy for a long time. But when mining first began, technology was nowhere near as advanced as it was now, so the authorities couldn't account for everything. Many issues were deliberately or inadvertently overlooked, such as whether mining would cause geological problems and what measures should be taken afterward.
Large mines required long-term development, so equipment and mining plans could be gradually updated as the work continued. There was naturally little need to worry about safety. But small sites were one-off operations: everything valuable was dug up and that was that. Whether the mine might later collapse or cause other problems was not considered. Since these sites were far from densely populated cities, even if something did go wrong, as long as the impact wasn't too great, no one would spend the labor or resources to repair the damage.
Of course, these were minor issues. District 019's gemstone mining had also seen a dark, blood-soaked chapter long ago. Back then, mining relied on human labor, and technology was inadequate, so accidents happened at many mines. According to official statistics, more than 80 percent of mines, large and small, had suffered fatalities. The highest death toll came at Tianlian Mountain, now government-owned and still supplying gemstones in abundance. The worst accident there claimed 127 lives, but it wasn't the only one.
The District 019 government hadn't covered up these accidents. Instead, it had handled their aftermath with the utmost sincerity, providing adequate compensation and apologies. The officials in charge at the time, along with government personnel at every level, were made to leave or resign as appropriate. The government also recognized those who