Provincial People's Council supervises environmental protection work at Thai Duong foreign pig breeding farm

On the morning of October 18, the monitoring delegation of the Provincial People's Council led by Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, Head of the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Department, conducted a monitoring of the implementation of the law on environmental protection (EP), occupational safety and hygiene (OSH) and the regime and policies for workers at the facility of Thai Duong Animal Feed Joint Stock Company, Dai Son commune, Do Luong district.

In February 2016, Thai Duong Animal Feed Joint Stock Company was approved by the Provincial People's Committee for the project "changing technology to improve livestock productivity, save money and be environmentally friendly" and to date, the company has invested nearly 2,000 billion VND to implement the project. Currently, in addition to other items, the company has a sow farm with a total herd of over 2,000 pigs.

After listening to the overview report, the members of the monitoring team directly investigated at the site environmental protection items such as: biogas tank system, aerated pond with stirrer, air pump, settling pond, aeration tank, biological pond...

On that basis, the delegation raised some opinions on the company's environmental protection system. The representative of the Environmental Police Department, Provincial Police requested the company to delimit the misting system during wastewater treatment; at the same time, increase tree planting in the project area.

The monitoring team also requested the company to provide a plan to prevent incidents in the system of 7 biological lakes if an incident occurs; pay the fine for environmental violations in August 2017; and fully report to the State environmental management agency as prescribed.

Regarding labor, there are currently more than 40 workers working at the company's facility in Dai Son commune, Do Luong district. However, the social insurance agency participating in the monitoring team said that the company had only paid social insurance until the end of the first quarter of 2018, and from the beginning of the second quarter until now, it still owed.

Responding to the monitoring delegation's opinion, Mr. Le Quang Thanh - General Director of Thai Duong Animal Feed Joint Stock Company said that the plan to plant trees in the company's production area will be carried out in 2019; at the same time, he also discussed the plan to respond to the incident.

Regarding the issue of not paying environmental fines and social insurance arrears, Mr. Le Quang Thanh explained that the reason was due to the difficult production and business situation; at the same time, he affirmed that he was arranging finances to complete the related obligations that were missing as pointed out by the monitoring team.

Concluding the meeting, Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Thi Thu Huong shared the difficulties of businesses in the context of the crisis in the pig farming industry in recent years.

Referring to the contents of the monitoring delegation, the Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council requested the company to continue to have solutions to overcome environmental problems, to remove it from the list of facilities causing environmental pollution; strictly implement the conclusions of the inspection and examination of provincial and local departments and branches such as: paying fines for violations; developing an environmental treatment plan when increasing the total herd; reporting on the treatment and management of hazardous solid waste.

Wastewater treatment pond of Thai Duong Animal Feed Joint Stock Company. Photo: Thanh Duy

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong also requested the company to have plans and solutions to handle any incidents, including reinforcing the embankments of biological lakes; building partitions in the misting area to limit odors; and developing and ensuring policies for workers.

Also this morning, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Hoang Viet Duong and the working delegation of the Provincial People's Council supervised the implementation of laws on environmental protection (EP), occupational safety and health (OSH) and policies for employees at Song Lam Cement Joint Stock Company in Bai Son commune, Do Luong district.