Who condones the business destroying Len Chua stone mine?

(Baonghean) - The situation of businesses arbitrarily exploiting and illegally building concrete mixing stations... at Len Chua quarry is caused by the local authorities' laxity in state management.

There is tolerance!

Recently, we have accessed many relevant documents from various levels and sectors, thereby determining that businesses at Len Chua stone quarry have shown disregard for legal regulations.

As evidence, in December 2016, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and relevant agencies conducted a field inspection and discovered that Thanh Xuan Company Limited and Xuan Hung Company Limited were exploiting at a depth exceeding the permitted depth by tens of meters below ground level 0.

Part of Xuan Hung Company's concrete mixing station is outside the licensed exploitation area. Photo taken on August 28, 2017.

In response to this violation, in February 2017, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision to fine 2 enterprises 120 million VND/unit; at the same time, revoke the right to use mineral exploitation licenses for 2 months; force them to level and restore the environment, and implement solutions to bring the areas that have been exploited beyond the prescribed depth to a safe state.

However, up to now, these two enterprises have not seriously implemented it, and then brazenly built a concrete mixing station right in the Len Chua quarry area without permission from the competent state agency.

More to be criticized, on August 18, 2017, through a field inspection, the interdisciplinary inspection team of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Industry and Trade, and Construction in coordination with the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town and Quynh Xuan Ward discovered that Xuan Chung Company Limited was constructing a number of items such as level 4 houses, surrounding walls, foundation pillars... of the concrete mixing station. The interdisciplinary inspection team requested the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town and the People's Committee of Quynh Xuan Ward to suspend the construction of the concrete mixing station.

However, this company did not comply. And 10 days later (August 28, 2017), present at Len Chua quarry, we witnessed the concrete mixing station items implemented by Xuan Chung Company Ltd. were basically completed, only the outer wall continued to be built.

According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hoang Mai Town, after the Provincial People's Committee issued decisions to penalize the above enterprises, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town issued many documents requesting these enterprises to fully implement the contents of the penalty decisions.

However, these businesses continue to violate: continue to exploit stone below cos 0, illegally build concrete mixing stations... Looking through the documents, it can be seen that the direction of the authorities at all levels in Hoang Mai town in solving the problem at Len Chua stone quarry is complete, only the implementation is not effective!

Enterprises have been mining tens of meters below ground level for many months now, but local authorities have not taken any measures to prevent or stop them. Photo taken on August 28, 2017.

Len Chua quarry is about 1km from Quynh Xuan Ward People's Committee, the road is convenient; however, when these enterprises exploit stone beyond the mining depth of dozens of meters, Quynh Xuan Ward does not take measures to prevent it? Xuan Hung Co., Ltd. and Xuan Chung Co., Ltd. built and put into operation concrete mixing stations without a license, but Quynh Xuan Ward also did not take measures to suspend them. The enterprises have not complied with the environmental leveling and restoration but have not reported to superiors...

There is only one way to understand this situation: the local government is condoning businesses!

Consider the responsibility of the head of Quynh Xuan ward

On June 1, 2017, the Provincial People's Committee issued the Regulations on coordination in state management of mineral resources. Accordingly, the District People's Committee and the Commune People's Committee are responsible for implementing state management of mineral exploitation activities in the area according to current regulations; handling violations, suspending activities and requesting organizations and individuals engaged in mineral activities to remedy the consequences according to the prescribed authority.

At the same time, take full responsibility before the Provincial People's Committee and before the law for the delay in handling, or failure to handle violations of organizations and individuals conducting mineral exploitation without completing land lease procedures, operating outside the boundaries of the permitted exploitation area; and handling violations.

Compared with the incident at Len Chua quarry, it is clear that the local government in Hoang Mai town has not fulfilled its responsibility in protecting unexploited minerals and organizing the prevention of illegal mining and construction activities here.

Xuan Chung Company Ltd. brazenly built a level 4 house, surrounding walls, and foundation pillars for a concrete mixing station without permission from the competent authority. Photo taken on August 28, 2017.

In addition, the provincial and Hoang Mai Town authorities have repeatedly issued relevant documents, assigning responsibility to Quynh Xuan Ward to monitor the scene, draw up administrative violation records, impose administrative penalties, and confiscate exhibits and vehicles in case Xuan Chung Company Limited and Xuan Hung Company Limited continue to violate mineral activities and do not comply with the instructions of the authorities. However, the implementation of the tasks assigned by the superiors by the Quynh Xuan Ward authorities is ineffective.

Therefore, from the prolonged violations of enterprises, it is necessary to consider the responsibility of the leaders of Quynh Xuan ward. Regarding this issue, according to Mr. Pham Van Hao - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hoang Mai town, in the past, the town People's Committee had a document criticizing the Chairman of Quynh Xuan ward People's Committee, Mr. Vu Van Tu, for not strictly following the direction of the Hoang Mai town People's Committee.

“The People’s Committee of Hoang Mai Town will take strong measures, not tolerate violations by businesses, and will also rectify the local authorities to strictly implement state management work…” - Mr. Hao affirmed.

To resolve the above situation, in addition to forcing enterprises to strictly comply with legal regulations; it is necessary to clarify responsibilities and seriously handle related organizations and individuals. In particular, it is necessary to compare legal regulations, which have been clearly stated in the Regulations on coordination in State management of mineral resources to clarify the responsibilities of the heads of local authorities and have strict handling forms.

Ha Giang - Nguyen Hung