Without a license, a plywood factory in Nghia Dan still operates
Although it has been inaugurated with great fanfare and in operation for many months now, Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory, located in Nghia Lam Commune, Nghia Dan District, still does not have complete legal procedures.
Insufficient legal procedures still operating
Opened and put into production since 2023, however, Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory under Minh Long Investment, Development and Production Company Limited, located in Minh Lam hamlet, Nghia Lam commune (Nghia Dan) still does not have complete legal documents and related procedures. In particular, this factory does not have an environmental impact assessment report approved by the competent authority, while the plywood production process at this unit uses many types of chemicals and additives that affect the environment and human health.
Based on the local residents' feedback, Nghe An Newspaper reporters were present at the Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory. This factory is located right next to Ho Chi Minh Road, near the administrative border between Nghe An and Thanh Hoa. When the reporters arrived, production activities here were still quite bustling. The factory area is located on the mountain slope west of Ho Chi Minh Road, with a high slope; we observed a wastewater pipe discharging into the Ho Chi Minh Road's collection ditch.
Mr. Le Trung Kien - Chairman of Nghia Lam Commune People's Committee, said: Up to this point, Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory has not yet completed the legal documents to start operating. From 2023 to 2024, the commune and district have repeatedly inspected and requested to stop related activities and speed up the completion of related procedures.
Mr. B, a resident of Minh Lam hamlet, reported: Minh Long 3 plywood factory has been in operation since last year (2023). Every day, noise and smoke are regularly released into the environment. Not to mention, many times when cleaning machines, glue and chemical water flow from the factory into the ditch in front of Ho Chi Minh road and flow into the residential area.
However, in reality, this unit still did not comply with the request to stop operations to complete related procedures but continued to organize production activities.
Most recently, on May 29, 2024, implementing the official dispatch of the People's Committee of Nghia Dan district, the People's Committee of Nghia Lam commune also issued Document No. 557/UBND-XDTM requesting compliance with the suspension of production and construction activities at Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory. In particular, the People's Committee of Nghia Lam commune requested the unit to strictly comply with the suspension of construction activities and trial operation of the production line when the procedures for project adjustment and related legal procedures have not been completed.
Mr. Kien also said that the commune's viewpoint is to hope that the factory will soon be put into operation to create jobs for local workers. However, the immediate requirement is to complete the relevant legal procedures.
Talking to us, the representative of Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory said that the factory is in the process of installing the production line and testing. Currently, the business is also completing paperwork, especially the environmental impact assessment report to suit the investment industry.
Confusing company sales
Through research, we learned that the production site where Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory is operating, the predecessor is the Puzolan Additive Factory Project of Nguyen Phat Mineral Exploitation and Trading Company Limited. In 2006, this unit was allowed by the Provincial People's Committee to survey and plan the construction of a Basalt Powder Factory in Nghia Lam Commune with a scale of 2.7 hectares.
By April 2007, the Provincial People's Committee approved the overall site plan of the Bazan Powder Factory project in Nghia Lam commune, Nghia Dan district for Nguyen Phat Mineral Exploitation and Trading Company Limited, with a land area of 25,580 m2.
Also in 2007, the Provincial People's Committee granted an Investment Certificate for the Puzolan Additive Factory Project in Nghia Lam Commune, Nghia Dan District. The investor at this time changed to Song Da 12 - Nguyen Loc Joint Stock Company.
On December 29, 2008, authorized by the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An issued a Certificate of Land Use Rights to Nguyen Phat Mineral Exploitation and Trading Company Limited with an area of 25,619m2.
It is worth mentioning that after being granted an Investment Certificate and being leased land, the Puzolan Additive Factory Project did not operate effectively and was mortgaged to the bank by the investor. After a period of insolvency, the bank announced the auction of the mortgaged assets for this project.
On June 24, 2022, Minh Long Trading and Service Joint Stock Company was notified of winning the auction of assets (machinery, equipment, Puzolan additive production line and the entire construction works such as factory, executive office, other auxiliary works attached to land plot No. 1, according to Land Use Rights Certificate No. AI189941 dated December 9, 2008 in Nghia Lam commune, Nghia Dan district.
On January 30, 2023, Minh Long Trading and Service Joint Stock Company and Minh Long Development Investment and Production Company Limited signed a written Agreement on capital contribution using auctioned assets. Accordingly, Minh Long Trading and Service Joint Stock Company transferred all auctioned assets to the capital contribution using assets at Minh Long Development Investment and Production Company Limited.
Immediately after completing the acquisition of the auctioned assets from the bank, Minh Long Investment, Development and Production Company Limited completed the procedures to adjust the project name, objectives, land use area, scale and total investment capital...
In which, the Project name was changed from Nghia Dan Puzolan Additive Factory to Minh Long Plywood Factory, with a capacity of 10,000 m3/year. Adjust the scale of some items such as: factory, office building, administration building, canteen, restroom, technical infrastructure system... At the same time, adjust the total investment capital from 39 billion VND to 180 billion VND...
However, it is worth mentioning that although Minh Long Investment, Development and Production Company Limited bought the entire project, including the Land Use Rights Certificate from the bank. However, in reality, the factory area is not enough 25,619m2as on the Land Use Rights Certificate, which has more than 4,000m2located outside the fence being used by people.
Not to mention, after purchasing the auctioned property, it was discovered that there was an area of 11,150 m2belonging to the production forest land planning according to the planning of 3 types of forests that have not been removed from the planning. Even the archived records only have the master plan drawing of the Bazan Stone Powder Factory project in Nghia Lam commune for Nguyen Phat Mineral Exploitation and Trading Company Limited, approved by the Provincial People's Committee on April 20, 2007, without other related construction documents (basic design, construction drawing design, construction permit...)
Mr. Tran Manh Ha - Vice Chairman of Nghia Dan District People's Committee, said: Regarding the fact that Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory did not have complete documents and procedures but still went into operation, the district also inspected and assigned responsibility to the locality and the enterprise to strictly comply with completing the procedures before going into operation.
Mr. Ha also added: Regarding the change of ownership and adjustment of the project, as well as related problems, the district and the Department of Planning and Investment have also worked with the investor. Currently, the district has made a proposal to adjust the planning of 3 types of forests for the area of 11,150 m2located in the factory area and awaiting approval from the Provincial People's Committee.
Thus, although there are still problems, the lack of complete legal documents and related procedures, especially the lack of an environmental impact assessment report approved by the competent authority, the Minh Long 3 Plywood Factory is still in operation, which needs to be considered and implemented in accordance with the provisions of the law. The people's desire for production units to ensure the environment is completely legitimate, and the local authorities and relevant departments and branches need to pay attention and direct the final handling.
