Need to tighten management of scrap purchasing activities

There are many shortcomings

On April 2, 2023, aBig Bangoccurred at Le Hien auto garage in Quynh Tan commune (Quynh Luu district) causing 2 deaths and 4 serious injuries. It is worth mentioning that the incident occurred when Mr. Le Tien H. (owner of the auto garage) was asked by a neighbor who buys scrap metal to saw off a piece of iron of unknown origin.

A large explosion occurred at a car garage in Quynh Tam commune, Quynh Luu district, killing 2 people and injuring 4 others. Photo: CSCC

The explosion caused particularly serious consequences and sounded the alarm about the vulnerability in thescrap collection point managementNowadays, trading and purchasing scrap is one of the most popular industries. The positive side is that it contributes significantly to reducing environmental pollution through the collection, classification, recycling, and reuse of useful household waste, reducing the amount of waste that needs to be treated. However, if this industry is not well managed, it also poses many potential risks to community life.

Like many other localities in the country, Nghe An currently has hundreds of scrap trading locations located in residential areas. However, most of them are households combining production and business, located in residential areas, with small areas or even taking advantage of home gardens and vacant land to make yards. Scrap is left outdoors, seeping into the ground, giving off a foul smell in the hot season, causing toxicity to workers and people in the area.

In addition to affecting the environment and aesthetics in residential areas, most of the current scrap collection points do not ensure fire safety conditions, the electrical wiring system is old, tangled, prone to short circuits and fires, even in narrow warehouses, many types of items purchased have a high risk of explosion such as televisions, refrigerators, old oxygen tanks... are displayed haphazardly, posing unpredictable dangers.

Walking around the Vinh Market Bus Station area (in Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City), it is not difficult to come across scrap collection points with hundreds of types of scrap piled up haphazardly, emitting an unpleasant smell. Being the gateway for trading and exchanging goods in the area, this area has been considered the "territory" of scrap buyers and collectors for decades.

Scrap purchasing facilities located in residential areas pose many potential risks to residents. (In photo: Scrap purchasing facility located on Le Huan extended street). Photo: An Quynh

According to research, there are nearly 20 scrap trading and collection establishments in Vinh Tan ward. The owners of these establishments mainly come from other places, without prior planning, although scrap collection always has the potential risk of fire and explosion and high environmental pollution. For example, the scrap purchasing facility located at the beginning of Le Huan extended street has been operating for nearly ten years. People around said: On sunny days, there is a lot of scrap that has not been transported away yet, causing an unpleasant smell in the whole area. Not only that, due to purchasing and sorting activities, sometimes there are dangerous electrical short circuits and fires at that facility.

Dien Chau is also a place with many scrap purchasing activities. One of the places considered the "capital" of scrap purchasing is Dien Hong commune. According to statistics, currently, in Dien Hong commune, there are 49 households registered to trade in scrap. Of which, 10 establishments trading and importing scrap are concentrated in a small industrial park located right next to National Highway 1A, specializing in collecting scrap iron and steel imported for the iron and steel industrial park in Thai Nguyen province. Other scrap purchasing establishments are scattered in the remaining hamlets.

Following the guidance of Mr. Nguyen Hong T. - owner of a scrap wholesale facility in the industrial park, we "witnessed" the scrap collection sites. Here, there are hundreds of types of scrap such as water machines, fans, scrap iron, packaging, etc. collected from many places to be gathered and classified. The imported scrap is classified, processed, cut and pressed, etc. and then sold to the main companies.

Many types of scrap are gathered together in warehouses, posing a high risk of fire and explosion. Photo: An Quynh

Mr. Nguyen Hong Trung - Chairman of Dien Hong Commune People's Committee said: Every year, the government has asked all households to sign a commitment not to trade or transport scrap with high risk of explosion. Up to now, there have been no violations in the area regarding scrap trading in weapons, explosives, etc. However, there are cases of households letting scrap spill onto sidewalks and roadsides. The local government has repeatedly reminded people to fix it but it has not been completely resolved.

In Quynh Nghia commune (Quynh Luu district), although there are only 4 scrap purchasing locations, in addition to concerns about the risk of fire and explosion and environmental pollution, these scrap purchasing facilities also pose many "difficult problems" for local authorities regarding security and order in the commune.

Mr. Ho Duy Thuong - Deputy Police of Quynh Nghia Commune said: Old electric bicycles, old motorbikes, all without papers are also present next to piles of scrap metal and scrap. Instead of pawning them at pawnshops that require papers and complicated procedures, thieves choose to sell them at scrap purchasing facilities. Because the money is transferred quickly and there is no need to sign papers, many stolen vehicles have been brought here and labeled as scrap for 500 - 900 thousand VND.

Sanctions are still lacking?

According to the Investment Law 2020, which stipulates the list of conditional investment and business sectors, scrap purchasing activities are not included in this list, only scrap import is a conditional business sector.

The purchase and trading of scrap without scrap import activities is not a conditional business, so businesses only need to prepare an environmental impact assessment report, environmental license or environmental registration according to the instructions of the Law on Environmental Protection (BVMT) 2020. In addition to ensuring business environmental activities, it is also necessary to pay attention to regulations on fire prevention and fighting, specifically in Article 5, Decree 136/2020/ND-CP.

In particular, scrap purchasing facilities are required to ensure fire prevention and fighting safety conditions such as: having regulations, prohibition signs, and fire prevention and fighting instruction signs; having a fire prevention force corresponding to the type of facility trained in fire prevention and fighting and meeting on-site fire fighting requirements; having a fire fighting plan approved by competent authorities; having a traffic, water supply, and communication system serving fire fighting; having a design approval certificate and design approval document, etc.

A facility is purchasing scrap in Dien Hong commune, Dien Chau district. Photo: An Quynh

The regulations are like that, but in reality, most of the businesses and scrap purchasing establishments in the province have not met the above conditions. Most of the establishments have not yet established an environmental protection plan, they have only signed an environmental protection commitment like other households. Therefore, it is very difficult for the People's Committees at the commune, ward and town levels, which are the agencies assigned to directly manage scrap purchasing establishments, to apply sanctions.

Not only that, Decree No. 98/2020/ND-CP clearly stipulates the handling of administrative violations against scrap purchasing and trading points. However, only individuals and organizations that import scrap (belonging to conditional business lines) are subject to the Decree, and will be subject to measures such as suspension of operations, revocation of the right to use or revocation of business licenses when there are violations. Scrap purchasing facilities that do not import scrap will not be subject to the above Decree and will only be managed by the People's Committees of communes and wards.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Hanh - Deputy Head of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department, Nghe An Provincial Police said: Currently, scrap purchasing facilities in the form of households combining production and business are under the management of the People's Committees of communes and wards. Local police coordinate propaganda as well as periodic fire prevention inspections at facilities in the area. However, sanctions for violations are still limited, causing many shortcomings in scrap trading. To ensure safety in residential areas, the People's Committees of communes and wards need to strengthen inspection and supervision, and put facilities on the list of regular inspections. At the same time, advise the authorities to issue documents clearly guiding sanctions for scrap purchasing facilities when they violate. At the same time, promote propaganda for facility owners to help them better understand that scrap purchasing must ensure environmental landscape as well as fire prevention and fighting.

From the above situation, the authorities and functional forces need to have a more comprehensive view of this type of business. From there, there should be a reasonable planning of centralized purchasing points and facilities and regular inspection and supervision, while raising awareness and skills on occupational safety and hygiene, fire prevention and fighting for scrap collectors and processors, gradually reducing the risk of unsafety and avoiding unfortunate incidents.