Need to keep the promise

(Baonghean) -At the 5th session of the 16th Provincial People's Council, issues related to the environment were of great concern and were questioned by voters. These were: The situation of handling pesticide residues in pesticide warehouses in the past was still slow; The waste treatment system of enterprises in Nam Cam Industrial Park and Bac Vinh Industrial Park was not guaranteed, causing environmental pollution for the people of Nghi Loc district, Vinh city; Hoang Mai Cement Factory, Con Co Animal Feed Processing Factory caused environmental pollution in Quynh Luu district; The leasing of Dien Ngoc fishing port for seafood processing caused environmental pollution in Dien Chau district... Although these issues have been questioned many times, the relevant sectors have made promises, but their determination and actions are not yet clear.

In Nghi Quang commune (Nghi Loc) - a locality affected by environmental pollution from Hai An Seafood Import-Export and Trading Company Limited - one of the large companies in Nam Cam Industrial Park. This company specializes in producing and processing aquatic and seafood for export, with a capacity of 2,000 tons/year. Although located near a residential area, Hai An Company does not have a standard treatment system, all wastewater and waste are dumped into a small pond behind the company and are not treated at any stage, causing environmental pollution for more than 140 households in Trung Tien hamlet, Nghi Quang commune, Nghi Loc district. Faced with this situation, in many meetings with voters and People's Council delegates at all levels, voters of Trung Tien hamlet, Thanh Vinh 1 hamlet, Thanh Vinh 2 hamlet as well as Nghi Quang commune authorities made recommendations and complaints but were not resolved. Many times, authorities at all levels came to inspect and find solutions, but the company's leaders did not cooperate.

Rice fields (Nghi Xa - Nghi Loc) in the summer-autumn crop of 2012 could not bloom due to pollution from wastewater discharged from Nam Cam Industrial Park.

It is known that on September 11, 2012, the inspection team of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment decided to fine Hai An Seafood Import-Export and Trading Company Limited 5 million VND for the act of: "Discharging wastewater exceeding the standards and technical regulations on waste by 5.4 times in the case of discharging wastewater volume less than 10m3/day, violating Point A, Clause 3, Article 10, Decree 117/2009 of the Government". However, with such a "lenient" fine, companies and enterprises continue to be "indifferent" to the responsibility and obligation to protect the environment of their own units and to the people around industrial parks and industrial clusters in the area!

Not only Nghi Quang commune is affected, many agricultural plots along Cau Kiet river of 5 hamlets in the lower area of ​​Nghi Xa commune, Nghi Loc district are still abandoned. Mr. Vo Van Dinh - Chairman of Nghi Xa commune People's Committee said: The living environment of people here is being threatened because for many years the industrial park has not had a centralized wastewater treatment area, rice and fish, and people's health has been affected, people are very upset. After the voters' reflection at the Provincial People's Council meeting, an inspection team went to the locality to work but the results are still "standing still". The lives of hundreds of households continue to be seriously affected when every day untreated wastewater continues to flow directly into the natural environment".

In Hamlet 15, Dien Yen Commune (Dien Chau), for many years now there has been an old warehouse of plant protection chemicals that is no longer in use. Its impact is directly affecting the lives of hundreds of households, causing panic among them. Most of the 250 households in Hamlet 15, Dien Yen Commune, are located on a field more than 1km wide from the warehouse of plant protection chemicals. Mr. Duong Dang Hoi - Chairman of Dien Yen Commune said: "After the recent People's Council meeting, the People's Council delegates reflected and questioned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and a design consulting company in Hanoi came to survey, but they have not returned since then. Up to now, the problem of handling the pollution of the warehouse of plant protection chemicals in Hamlet 15 has not changed. Currently, the commune can only handle it by digging ditches to lead water from the warehouse to the drainage system to avoid the situation of rainwater seeping into the fields with pesticides".

The current environmental pollution situation is also serious at Lach Van Fishing Port, Dien Ngoc Commune (Dien Chau), but so far this problem has not been resolved. Mr. Dao Quang Vien - Chairman of the Fatherland Front of Dien Ngoc Commune said: "The commune has repeatedly requested competent authorities to monitor the pollution situation to have a solution, and in meetings with voters, we have also given opinions to the People's Council delegates, the district has also invited an inspection team to monitor the environmental pollution here, but there have been no remedial measures, while the initial planning of the fishing port does not include a fishmeal processing factory located in the port area".

It is undeniable that in recent times, all levels and sectors have vigorously implemented environmental protection management work. However, environmental pollution in some localities is still a very pressing issue. The responsibility primarily belongs to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in management work, while authorities at all levels have not clearly demonstrated political determination and high responsibility. Voters are expecting sectors and levels to take actions that "match words with actions", "say less, do more"... to soon resolve people's concerns.

Thanh Le