Special environmental control of 28 major projects

Fishermen mend their nets at Vinh Tan Thermal Power Plant in Vinh Tan Commune, Tuy Phong District, Binh Thuan Province.

There are 28 production facilities and large projects included in the special environmental control list.

Pollution accumulated over many years

The project has been sent by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) to ministries, branches and localities for comments. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said that recently, many pressing issues and hot spots of environmental pollution have continued to increase in many regions and fields, with many incidents causing serious environmental pollution.

The Ministry assessed that from many pollution incidents, the accumulated pollution sources have caused the environmental quality to continue to "degrade" in some places, causing serious consequences to the ecological environment, affecting people's lives and health, causing frustration and insecurity among the people. In particular, the recent marine environmental incidents in the Central provinces have become an expensive lesson.

The Ministry also frankly stated that in the process of socio-economic development, the process of accelerating industrialization has also increased the demand for resource exploitation as well as the risk of widespread negative impacts on the environment.

In particular, there are some localities that prioritize attracting investment and developing the economy, but do not pay due attention to environmental protection, leading to the emergence and accumulation of many environmental problems.

In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also reported that nationwide there are still a large number of fields, types of industries, and outdated production technologies that pose a high risk of causing pollution and environmental incidents.

Therefore, the project warns that in the coming time, environmental protection work will face many challenges, risks of pollution and environmental incidents on a large scale, inter-regionally with increasingly complex nature and level.

26 types of production with high risk of pollution

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has selected 16 common types of production in Vietnam that pose a high risk of environmental pollution to include in a special environmental control project.

Including iron and steel smelting, thermal power, mining and processing of metal minerals using toxic chemicals, paper and pulp production, fabric and fiber dyeing, plating, rubber latex processing, cassava starch processing, cement production, chemical production - pesticides - chemical fertilizers, petrochemical refining, tanning, seafood processing, sugar cane processing, battery production, waste treatment.

Pollution risk in both old and new projects

Mr. Hoang Van Thuc, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Environment, said that from 16 types of production with a risk of causing pollution, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has included in the special control plan 28 production facilities, projects, and industrial parks in the group with a high risk of causing environmental pollution.

Among the 28 production facilities and projects on the list, there are both operating projects and projects that have violated regulations such as Formosa, Nui Phao, and large projects such as the Lam Dong Bauxite-Aluminum Complex. It is worth noting that among the 28 projects on the list, there are quite a few new projects that are in the trial operation phase, under construction, and even projects that have not been built yet.

For example, in the thermal power sector, the project proposes special control of 5 factories belonging to Vinh Tan Power Center (Binh Thuan province), including Vinh Tan 2 Factory which is already in operation and 4 factories under construction.

In Tra Vinh province, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also proposed special control of 4 factories belonging to Duyen Hai Power Center, of which only Duyen Hai 1 Factory is in operation, 2 factories are under construction and Duyen Hai 2 Factory has not been built yet.

In the paper and pulp production sector, although not yet officially operational, due to concerns about the risk of "suffocating" the Hau River and being in the group of production types at risk of causing pollution, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also included the Lee & Man VN Paper Factory in Chau Thanh District (Hau Giang Province) in the special control project.

Lee & Man paper mill in Hau Giang province.

In addition to 28 special control facilities, according to Mr. Thuc, in the project there are about 300 projects that must be controlled but assigned to the provincial level to proactively inspect, periodically monitor, urge investment, and overcome environmental problems.

"After the recent environmental incident in the Central provinces, we clearly realized that we should not be passive. The special control plan for high-risk facilities is a proactive solution to the situation," Mr. Thuc affirmed.

According to the plan, after consulting with ministries, branches and localities, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will complete the project and submit it to the Prime Minister for approval.

28 projects proposed for special environmental control - Graphics: Tan Dat