Provincial People's Council supervises mineral management in Quynh Luu district

Scene of the working session of the Provincial People's Council's monitoring delegation with Quynh Luu district. Photo: Mai Hoa

Establishment of mineral inspection teams

On the morning of September 22, the Provincial People's Council had a working session with the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district. Comrade Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, was the head of the monitoring delegation. The delegation included Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province; representatives of a number of provincial departments and branches, and leaders of Quynh Luu district.

Before working with the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district, the monitoring delegation of the Provincial People's Council divided into two groups to conduct direct surveys at a number of construction stone quarries and work with the People's Committees of Quynh Van and Ngoc Son communes.

Comrade Hoang Van Bo - Chairman of Quynh Luu District People's Committee reported on state management of minerals in the district. Photo: Mai Hoa

According to the report of the District People's Committee, there are currently 9 mines licensed for mineral exploitation in the district; of which 7 arequarry,1 earth mine and 1 basalt mine. Of the 9 licensed mines, 2 mines of 2 enterprises are in the process of closing the mines and restoring the environment.

Performing the function of state management of minerals under its authority, every year, the Provincial People's Committee pays attention to directing the work of inspection, examination and supervision. Within 5 years (2016 - 2021), the District People's Committee has established 16 inspection teams for state management of land, environment and minerals in 16 communes; including a team to inspect the law compliance of mineral exploitation enterprises in the district.

Comrade Cao Tien Trung - Standing Member of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the Economic - Budget Committee of the Provincial People's Council raised a number of issues that need attention in the state management of minerals in Quynh Luu district. Photo: Mai Hoa

The district also actively coordinates and participates with the province's interdisciplinary and specialized delegations to inspect and contribute to promptly correcting violations in mineral exploitation as well as responsibility to the community.

According to the reflection, in the district there is no area licensed to exploit common construction materials - landfill, while there is a need to use landfill to implement large investment projects, especially the North - South expressway project.

According to Quynh Luu district, the quality of some quarries in the area is low. In the photo, mining at the quarry in Quynh Van commune. Photo: Mai Hoa

Illegal land exploitation and leveling still occurs in some localities, causing difficulties in management, inspection and handling. Some mining enterprises have not yet leased land for the exploited area beyond the land lease scope.

Some enterprises have not strictly complied with legal regulations on environmental protection in exploitation and processing; there are still shortcomings in post-exploitation land reclamation, payment of resource tax and environmental tax.

Working group No. 2 of the Provincial People's Council's monitoring delegation, led by comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh, directly surveyed the stone quarry in Ngoc Son commune. Photo: Nhu Thuy

Focus on preventing and overcoming consequences affecting people's lives

Based on direct surveys at a number of quarries and working with the People's Committees of Ngoc Son and Quynh Van communes, and listening to feedback from people in the quarry area, at the meeting, members of the Provincial People's Council's monitoring delegation made many proposals for the District People's Committee to inform, clarify and strengthen management.

It is noteworthy that the mines are using outdated mining and processing technology, causing many consequences for people living around the mines; especially the use of mines in mining with high frequency and inappropriate timing, and wastewater from the mines is flowing into residential areas.

Besides, the traffic of trucks going in and out of the mine is high and heavy, greatly affecting people's lives and the environment.

Team No. 1 led by Comrade Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council directly surveyed the stone quarry in Quynh Van commune. Photo: Mai Hoa

Affirming that mineral exploitation and processing activities are not complete and not in accordance with the law, causing great consequences to people's lives and the environment, comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee emphasized the role of the grassroots government in regularly inspecting and monitoring to handle within its authority, at the same time the district needs to intervene promptly to limit negative impacts that may arise.

Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee raised a number of issues that needed to be clarified at the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

Through the survey of the quality of stone at the quarry, comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh raised the issue related to the capacity of exploration, assessment of reserves, quality of the consulting unit and administrative procedures in the field of quarry licensing. Solving the problem of enterprises declaring the mining volume lower than the actual mining volume. The Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee also reflected the proposal of the base to leave a part of the budget for the communes with mines.

Presenting public opinions regarding tax losses in the mineral sector, comrade Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council requested the relevant authorities to clarify the current mechanism for monitoring and managing tax declarations and propose solutions to combat tax losses.

Comrade Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council spoke at the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

At the end of the meeting, in addition to acknowledging the attention and determination to implement many measures and solutions for state management of minerals in the district, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Nhu Khoi requested the district and grassroots authorities to strengthen their responsibility in state management, strengthen inspection, examination and supervision to detect, report and prevent violations of the law in mineral exploitation, promptly overcome consequences and impacts on people's lives, such as wastewater, road subsidence, dust pollution, etc.

In the immediate future, the district and commune are requested to monitor, rectify and immediately remedy the situation of mine explosions; overloaded vehicles carrying materials without cover; ensure labor safety for workers at quarries. Pay attention to solutions to prevent tax losses in the mineral sector; restore the environment after mining...