Rectifying mineral exploitation management contributes to reducing climate change

(Baonghean) -Nghe An is rich in mineral resources, but these resources are being exploited indiscriminately and indiscriminately. The “disappearance” of resources leaves behind negative consequences affecting the landscape and environment, causing water pollution, soil pollution, air pollution, etc. This is also one of the causes of climate change.

Quy Hop is the richest in mineral resources in Nghe An, with stone mines, tin ore, gold, iron ore... Thanks to mineral exploitation and processing, it has contributed significantly to the economic development of the area. However, environmental problems along with the consequences of mineral exploitation and processing without following the process, putting profit first of enterprises have seriously affected the ecological environment. Going along the communes of Chau Hong, Chau Tien, Chau Cuong... the mountain ranges have been dug up by people to get white stone and tin ore. For tin ore in Thung Chuoi - Chau Hong, Lan Toong commune of Chau Thanh, Chau Hong, in the Suoi Bac area, people dug "rat holes" from the top to the foot of the mountain, "holes on top of holes". The giant mountain is hollowed out, crisscrossed like a tunnel. The rainy season is coming, many hollowed out mountains can collapse at any time. In open-pit tin mining areas, the process of digging, transporting ore, the mining terrain is lowered, and solid waste increases. The accumulation of solid waste during the ore selection and washing process causes the upstream water source to turn red, reducing the function of irrigation works on the Nam Ton river. Many villages in Chau Tien, Chau Hong, Chau Cuong... have to use water from tin ore pollution all year round. Not to mention that some areas around the waste dump have been filled up due to landslides and erosion. When the rainy season comes, it often causes "red mud" to flow down to low-lying areas, causing damage to the environment and economy... In fact, "red mud floods" have invaded many rice fields in Chau Quang commune.

Illegal tin mining site in Chau Tien - Quy Hop.

In recent years, gold mining has also heated up in the districts of Tuong Duong, Quy Chau, Que Phong, Con Cuong... In Cam Muon commune, Khe Hang Nho area and Khe Tam hill, illegal gold mining has been going on for many years but the local government has been almost lax. Only when the Provincial People's Committee established an interdisciplinary team to push it out did things temporarily calm down. In this area, the entire forest was hollowed out with deep caves. People chopped up the whole mountain from the stream to the top of the hill. Illegal gold miners also use cyanide and toxic chemicals to filter gold, discharging it directly into rivers and streams. This causes the extinction of aquatic resources, water pollution, and landslides.

Not to mention that to bring machinery into gold mining areas, people also cut down protective forests. In Tuong Duong district, on rivers and streams in Yen Na, Yen Hoa, Tam Hop, Xa Luong... all have been exploited for alluvial gold, causing deformation of streams, landslides in rice fields... In Yen Tinh commune, Phu Phen hill area is licensed for exploration by Thu Do Company (Hanoi), but this unit has been exploiting for many years, hundreds of pits are stacked on top of each other, waste soil is dumped haphazardly in the forest. Many people in Yen Hoa commune reported that the water source is heavily polluted due to gold mining at the Phu Phen source.

According to research, before mining, units often prepare environmental impact assessment reports and have plans to reduce pollution. However, when put into operation, the pollution reduction items are cut or done perfunctorily. Enterprises find every way to discharge waste outside, affecting people's health. For example, in Quy Hop, most tin mining sites almost do not level the ground.

Not to mention the white stone processing factories, all have waste treatment systems including ponds. But in reality, many ponds are too small, and enterprises discharge wastewater into streams. For many construction stone quarries that are still exploited indiscriminately, with incorrect mine designs, causing serious stone dust pollution, such as the quarries in Len Chua - Quynh Xuan (Quynh Luu), each year, enterprises contract Quynh Xuan commune to spend over 300 million VND to water the area around the quarry, but the commune hires people to water in the "dragonfly-drip-drip" style, so the dust remains dust.

Nghe An has 113 large mining areas, 171 ore points, rich in mineral reserves, with tin ore accounting for 30% of the total national reserves. The whole province has over 300 mining licenses. Mineral management and mineral activities still have many problems in the stages of reserve assessment, licensing, post-licensing management, and protection of unlicensed mineral resources.

To rectify the management of mineral exploitation and processing and mitigate climate change, all levels and sectors need to strengthen management. First of all, land management, control of usage purposes, and avoid the situation where illegal miners buy, sell, transfer, and legalize illegal mineral exploitation. Mineral management needs to be implemented from the grassroots level, because in reality, some districts and communes are lax in allowing illegal mineral exploitation to spread.

The inspection and handling of violations by the authorities must be serious. In reality, some still use coping methods, lack determination, and do not handle them thoroughly, leading to re-offending and re-opening after being expelled. The appraisal, licensing, and explosives must be strictly managed to avoid the situation where a surplus amount of explosives is sold to illegal mining groups, increasing the quantity and scale of illegal mining activities.

The State also needs to have specific policies to encourage qualified enterprises to invest effectively, such as in the process of mining and processing to save mineral resources, and protect mineral resources during the mining process. For example, in Quy Hop area, there are currently only about 5 stone mining enterprises using diamond wire to cut stone. Mining cutting from top to bottom, cutting stone with diamond wire takes advantage of the whole block, the stone is not cracked...

A leader of the Environmental Police Department added: The Provincial People's Committee continues to direct all levels of the sector, especially localities with many potential complex factors of illegal mining and land disputes in mining areas. Strengthen post-licensing management in a number of areas such as: Mine design, mining plans, explosives, and environmental protection.

Inspect and strictly handle the responsibilities of all levels and sectors in the management of land and unlicensed mining areas, allowing illegal mining, mining not in accordance with design, and failure to implement environmental commitments, causing serious consequences. Inspect and reclaim mines for enterprises that do not directly organize mining and divide the mines for lease in the style of "renting land and collecting rent". Mineral exploitation requires land reclamation, especially tin mining.

A good sign is that in Quy Hop area, Nghe Tinh Non-ferrous Metal Company has invested funds to restore the land and environment at the Co village quarry in Chau Thanh commune, an area of ​​5 hectares, with a total value of over 4 billion VND. The project mainly leveled and took humus from other places to restore the land, tested by the Soil Institute, so that people could grow crops and rice. After completion, the Non-ferrous Metal Company continued to invest in restoring the land in Poong village in Chau Hong commune, an area of ​​5 hectares, with a value of 4 billion VND.

Article and photos: Vuong Tran