According to Quang Van Dang, Secretary of the Yen Tinh Commune Party Committee, although provincial agencies and the People's Committee of Tuong Duong District have repeatedly requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to revoke the gold mining license in Yen Na - Yen Tinh, Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company still dreams of mining gold on Pu Phen Mountain. And it seems that they have the consensus of the Vietnam Minerals Department. To prove it, the Secretary of the Yen Tinh Commune Party Committee transferred to Nghe An Newspaper Document No. 14/KSVN-TĐHS dated February 7, 2023 of the Vietnam Minerals Department on "continuing to complete procedures to exploit the Yen Na - Yen Tinh gold mine, Nghe An province".
See this document, among the places sent are the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district. Accordingly, on January 2, 2023, the Vietnam Minerals Department received Official Dispatch No. 38/CV-TD from Thu Do General Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company on the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report and environmental improvement and restoration plan for the original gold mine mining investment project in Yen Na commune and Yen Tinh commune (attached with Official Dispatches No. 7926/STNMT-KS dated December 20, 2021 of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An province, Official Dispatch No. 1070/UBND-NL dated September 30, 2022 of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district).
Vietnam Minerals Department commented: “On January 19, 2017, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Mineral Exploitation License No. 75/GP-BTNMT allowing Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company to exploit gold in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes for a period of 15 years. Section 5, Article 2 of License No. 75/GP-BTNMT requires “Before proceeding with exploitation, Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company must re-establish the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and the Environmental Rehabilitation and Restoration Plan of the Investment Project for mining of original gold ore in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province, report to the state management agency on environment for guidance on re-establishing the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and the Environmental Rehabilitation and Restoration Plan, and approval according to regulations”. However, the Company has been slow to implement the contents of the above License.
On September 6, 2021, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An issued Official Dispatch No. 5042/STNMT-KS requesting the revocation of License No. 75/GP-BTNMT because the Company was slow to put the mine into operation and had not fully performed the obligations of an organization or individual granted a mineral exploitation license. Implementing the direction of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, on October 26, 2021, the General Department of Geology and Minerals (formerly) issued Official Dispatch No. 2953/ĐCKS-KS urging and guiding the Company to carry out the work to soon put the mine into operation. According to the Company's report in Official Dispatches No. 18/CV-TD dated October 3, 2022, No. 38/CV-TD mentioned above and inspection by the professional unit, the Company has fully paid the mineral exploitation right fee and has implemented the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report. However, due to various objective reasons, especially the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected the progress of completing issues related to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report on mining in the above-mentioned mining area, it is still in the completion stage.
In order to have a basis to consider continuing to implement the Project, the Vietnam Minerals Department requests the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An province, relevant professional agencies and localities of the province to continue to allow, guide and support the Company to complete issues related to the Project's Environmental Impact Assessment Report, submit to competent authorities for approval, and soon put the mine into operation.
The Company is requested to proactively coordinate with relevant professional agencies and localities of the province to fulfill its obligations and responsibilities, and soon put the mine into operation according to regulations. Complete and report to the Vietnam Minerals Administration before April 30, 2023. After the above deadline, if the Company has not fully implemented the required contents, the Vietnam Minerals Administration will inspect and report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for handling according to regulations.
Contacting Mr. Nguyen Phung Hung - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Tuong Duong district, the answer was that the district had not received Document No. 14/KSVN-TĐHS of the Vietnam Minerals Department. A few days later, Mr. Nguyen Phung Hung said that because Tuong Duong district had not received Document No. 14/KSVN-TĐHS of the Vietnam Minerals Department through the official channel, the district leaders did not respond to this document. Asked about his viewpoint, the Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Tuong Duong district said: "Previously, the district had issued documents several times disagreeing with the enterprise to conduct environmental impact assessment consultation and not continue to mine gold on Pu Phen mountain. The district's viewpoint is consistent and unchanged...".
Contacting the responsible person of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, it is known that on February 9, 2023, Document No. 641/STNMT-KS was sent to the Vietnam Minerals Administration. Here, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment cited Official Dispatch No. 1439/UBND-NL dated December 31, 2022 of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district in response to Official Dispatch No. 25/CV-TD dated December 19, 2022 of Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company, with the content: "The People's Committee of Tuong Duong district maintains its viewpoint on the request to revoke the mineral exploitation license in Official Dispatch No. 1372/UBND-NL dated December 20, 2021 on the request to revoke the Mineral Exploitation License No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017 and does not agree with the consultation on environmental impact assessment and environmental rehabilitation plan of the project: Underground mining project of the original gold mine in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province as requested by Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company in Official Dispatch No. 25/CV-TĐ dated December 19, 2022".
At the same time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment reported to the Vietnam Minerals Department that the Department of Environmental Protection also issued Official Dispatch No. 1358/CCBVMT-TD dated December 28, 2022, regarding comments on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the Yen Na gold mine project, Yen Tinh, Tuong Duong district.
The representative of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said: “The Department has repeatedly requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to revoke the Mineral Exploitation License No. 75/GP-BTNMT issued to Thu Do General Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company in 2017. Reporting to the Vietnam Minerals Department on the recommendation of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district and the opinion of the Environmental Protection Sub-Department on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the Yen Na gold mine project, Yen Tinh, Tuong Duong district is also to demonstrate the consistent viewpoint of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on this issue…”.
