Extending the license for Hoang Mai B quarry: Safety and sustainable development must be prioritized.

Many "scandals"

Hoang Mai B QuarryLocated in Tan Thanh block, Hoang Mai ward (formerly Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town), this quarry was licensed by the Ministry of Heavy Industry (formerly) to Hoang Mai Stone Enterprise (now Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company) on October 23, 1995, under Decision No. 1091.QD/QLTN, with a reserve of 11 million tons and an exploitation area of ​​7.5 hectares.

This quarry is located near residential areas, close to National Highway 1A and the North-South railway line. In particular, with the development of Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park, many factories within the park are now situated very close to the quarry. In recent years, Nghe An newspapers and television have published numerous articles about the unsafe conditions caused by blasting at this quarry. At times, rocks have been scattered onto National Highway 1A during blasting, posing a danger to road users. Even during blasting operations, the managing authority has had to deploy personnel to block traffic on National Highway 1A passing through the area to ensure safety.

Regarding Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company, the company has been repeatedly reprimanded by authorities in the past. Specifically, on July 19, 2024, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town (formerly) issued Decision No. 913/QD-XPHC on administrative penalties against Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company for three violations in the field of mineral resources, with a total fine of 256 million VND.

On December 6, 2024, this unit was also issued Decision No. 5424/QD-CT by the Nghe An Provincial Tax Department (now the Nghe An Provincial Tax Office) regarding administrative penalties for tax violations. Accordingly, the total amount that this unit was required to pay in back taxes, penalties, and late payment fees was over 712 million VND.

Furthermore, in 2023, the Inspectorate of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) also pointed out many violations, shortcomings, and limitations at Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company. These included violations such as: mining not conforming to the technical design of the Hoang Mai B limestone mine; failure to fully implement some contents in the approved Environmental Impact Assessment Report; lack of a complete stone dust treatment system, lack of dust filtration equipment, failure to collect dust using filter bags during drilling and blasting, and failure to plant trees...

Also in 2023, after the Department of Industrial Safety and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Trade, inspected and issued a report against this unit following the blasting that caused rocks to fall onto National Highway 1A, the unit's license to use industrial explosives was revoked.

In fact, not only has the quarry of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company been repeatedly "warned," but after a long period of operation, it has revealed many shortcomings that affect the implementation of Hoang Mai Industrial Park 1. Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company (the investor of Hoang Mai Industrial Park 1) has also repeatedly submitted reports and requests to stop mining operations at Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company's quarry.

According to a report by Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company, the quarry of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company is located too close to the construction site of the Runergy factory (a factory producing silicon wafers and semiconductor wafers used in solar cell components), only 0.64 km away; and only 1 km from the Ju Teng factory (a factory producing electronic components and automotive parts). These factories are both high-tech production facilities with stringent environmental requirements as well as absolute stability and flatness of the factory buildings and equipment during production.

Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company also proposed considering a plan to support Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company with a portion of the profits earned from stone mining activities due to the premature cessation of quarrying operations (at a time when the quarry's mining license had not yet expired).

In fact, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town (at the time before the district level was abolished) had even requested the competent authorities not to renew (or issue new operating licenses) in this mining area to avoid affecting the people, National Highway 1A, and Hoang Mai Industrial Park I.

Seeking opinions on the extension.

Regarding the Hoang Mai B quarry, after the expiration of the mining license as stipulated in Decision 1091.QD/QLTN, Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company submitted an application to the Department of Agriculture and Environment requesting an extension of the mining license.

However, in order to have a basis for advising the Provincial People's Committee to consider the aforementioned extension, on October 13, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment issued Document No. 9087/SNNMT.KS to relevant departments, agencies, and the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward, requesting their opinions. In this document, the Department of Agriculture and Environment also stated that the mining area was granted a mining license by the competent authority in 1995, and since then, the economic and social conditions of the province have changed significantly. Therefore, the mining operations in the area have many factors that need to be reviewed and assessed regarding the impact of mining activities on the surrounding environment (impact on people living near the mine, rocks flying onto National Highway 1A, blasting affecting Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park).

The Department of Agriculture and Environment also requested the Department of Industry and Trade to provide its opinion on whether, if Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company continues its mining operations, it will meet the conditions for obtaining a permit for industrial explosives. Furthermore, it requested clarification on ensuring safety for road users on National Highway 1A, the North-South railway, and civil and industrial structures near the mining area.

We request the Department of Construction to provide its opinion on whether, if Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company continues its mining operations, it will meet the conditions for managing and licensing mineral mining activities for construction materials; ensuring safety for National Highway 1A and the North-South railway line; protecting the landscape when mining minerals near National Highway 1A; and other related issues.

We request that the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone provide feedback on the impact of mineral mining activities in the aforementioned mining area on Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park. At the same time, we request that the Nghe An Provincial Tax Department review the tax compliance of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company regarding its mineral mining activities.

Specifically, the Department of Agriculture and Environment requested the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward to provide feedback on the impact of mineral exploitation activities, blasting, environmental impact, impact on residents living near the mine area, and impact on civil and industrial constructions near the mine area...

The Department of Agriculture and Environment also requested that other departments, agencies, and localities provide their views on the request by Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company to extend the aforementioned mineral mining license.

In fact, at the local level, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward is currently gathering opinions from residents in Tan Thanh Hamlet, as well as relevant departments and agencies. Mr. Vu Xuan Luong, Head of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Planning Department of the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward, informed that Tan Thanh Hamlet has submitted its opinions to the ward, generally agreeing with the extension of the permit but requiring safety measures to be ensured during blasting. However, the specialized department is currently compiling the opinions to submit to the Standing Committee of the Ward Party Committee for consideration, after which it will be sent to the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Based on the events at the Hoang Mai B quarry over the past years, the extension of mineral exploitation permits there needs careful consideration, within the overall development plan of the locality and the province. Relevant authorities also need to comprehensively assess safety, environmental, and community impacts. Whether or not to extend the permit should not only depend on the submitted documents, but also on the actual situation, a serious assessment of the consequences the quarry has caused, in order to make the most appropriate decision that ensures a balance of interests in economic and social development.