(Baonghean.vn) - In Tri Le border commune (Que Phong district), there were once four businesses licensed to mine iron ore: Central Vietnam General Construction and Installation Company Limited; Lam Le Phong Joint Stock Company; 171 Rural Development and Construction Investment Joint Stock Company; and Ngoc Sang Company Limited. Currently, all four businesses have expired licenses and ceased operations between 2014 and 2016. However, they have not carried out environmental remediation and restoration work as required by law. And the "legacy" they left behind is causing negative consequences for Tri Le commune and Que Phong district.
"The Provincial Party Secretary directs the restoration of the land around the mineral mining site."
Reporters from Nghe An Newspaper visited several mining sites, screening areas, and waste disposal sites in Tri Le commune to report on this situation.
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| Traveling along National Highway 16 to the border commune of Tri Le, you will encounter mountains scarred by landslides caused by iron ore mining by businesses. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| Numerous abandoned areas, riddled with pits and holes, are used by iron ore mining companies as sites for their iron ore screening equipment. The photo shows the iron ore screening area of Ngoc Sang Co., Ltd. Photo: Nhat Lan. |
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| The tin ore mining area of Ngoc Sang Co., Ltd. is located right in Pieng Lom village. Due to extensive digging and destruction, artificial ponds have appeared on many mountain slopes... Photo: Tuan Duong |
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| ...and the pits and trenches were like traps for people and livestock. Photo: Tuan Duong |
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| This is what the current iron ore mining area looks like. Meanwhile, the iron ore screening yards of the mining companies are full of pits and large, polluting waste dumps. The photo shows a sludge dump belonging to Ngoc Sang Co., Ltd. Photo: Nhat Lan. |
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| Iron ore tailings sludge is dark gray in color and has a very unpleasant, pungent odor. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| The waste dump of Ngoc Sang Co., Ltd., around September-October 2016, was a place where local people scavenged for tin ore, causing some negative publicity. The photo shows a pit used by locals to scavenge for tin. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| In this area, there is still a considerable amount of iron ore that has not yet been crushed and screened by businesses. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| The machinery and equipment used for crushing and screening iron ore have become a pile of rusty metal. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| Ngoc Sang Co., Ltd. also left behind some huge, damaged trucks here. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| The screening area of the Central Vietnam General Construction Company Limited is located a short distance from the Tri Le commune headquarters. And currently, it is also a desolate wasteland. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| The iron screening system of the Central Vietnam General Construction Company Limited is quite massive, but it has become a pile of rusty metal. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| Here, there is still a considerable amount of iron ore scattered on the yards. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| A wastewater and sludge reservoir belonging to the Central Vietnam General Construction Company Limited. Photo: Nhat Lan |
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| Numerous negative consequences have occurred in Tri Le commune and Que Phong district as a result of the "legacy" left behind by iron ore mining businesses. Rain and floods have washed soil and sand from the mountains down into villages and houses; the waste reservoirs are at risk of collapsing, releasing water and sludge into rivers and lakes, causing environmental pollution. Furthermore, there have been instances of people entering the iron ore screening area of Ngoc Sang Co., Ltd. to scavenge for tin ore. To prevent these potential consequences, Que Phong district and Tri Le commune have organized working groups to persuade people not to engage in illegal mining. The photo shows a banner advising people not to mine minerals in any form at the iron ore screening area of Ngoc Sang Co., Ltd. Photo: Nhat Lan |
Nhat Lan - Tuan Duong
