Proposal to revoke the gold mining license of Thu Do General Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company

In the Report sent to the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment informed: The project of underground gold mining in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district of Thu Do Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company (headquartered at 251 Giai Phong Street, Phuong Mai Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi City) has a land use area of ​​126.7 hectares. The investor was granted License No. 75/GP-BTNMT by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on January 19, 2017 to carry out gold mining.

On Pu Phen mountain in Yen Tinh commune and Yen Na commune (Tuong Duong), there are currently about 27 - 28 illegal gold mining tunnels. Photo: Nhat Lan

Through inspection and review, up to now, Thu Do Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company has not implemented the regulations in Exploitation License No. 75/GP-BTNMT and other relevant legal regulations, specifically:

Not submitting the mine design to the competent state agency for appraisal and approval in accordance with the provisions of law to the competent state agency as prescribed; not reporting to the Provincial People's Committee for on-site inspection, determining coordinates, mining site and marking the boundaries of the permitted mining area; not carrying out procedures for converting land use purposes in accordance with the provisions of law.

Exploitation license No. 75/GP-BTNMT issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to Thu Do Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company on January 19, 2017. Photo: Nhat Lan

The environmental impact assessment report and environmental restoration plan have not been re-established. The mine has not been built yet, exploitation has not been carried out, and the People's Committee of Nghe An province has not been notified.People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, Yen Na Commune People's Committee, Yen Tinh Commune People's Committee, date of commencement of basic mine construction, date of commencement of exploitation.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has issued Official Dispatches No. 776/STNMT-KS dated February 20, 2019 and No. 5042/STNMT-KS reporting to the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment requesting the revocation of Mining License No. 75/GP-BTNMT issued to Thu Do Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company.

At the time of inspection, the Investor had not completed the relevant legal procedures to exploit and put the project into operation. Violating the provisions of Clause 2, Article 55, Law on Minerals No. 60/2010/QH12 dated November 17, 2010.

In recent years, the Party Committee and government of Tuong Duong district, along with functional forces, have spent a lot of effort to crack down on illegal gold miners. Photo: Contributor

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment recommends and proposes to the Provincial People's Committee: Based on the results of the inspection of the project implementation, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment reports and recommends that the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment revoke the Mining License No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017 issued to the Capital Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company to implement the original gold mine underground mining project in Yen Na commune and Yen Tinh commune, Tuong Duong district. Reason for revocation: The investor violated the provisions of Clause 2, Article 55 and Article 58, Mineral Law No. 60/2010/QH12 dated November 17, 2010.

On December 8, 2021, at the question and answer session of the 4th session of the Provincial People's Council, delegate Nguyen Van Hai - Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee informed that recently, the Capital Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company went to Tuong Duong district to consult the community on the content of the environmental impact assessment report of the original gold mining project in Yen Na commune and Yen Tinh commune, Tuong Duong district. Thereby, he requested Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to explain this matter.

According to the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, in License No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment requested the Capital Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company to re-establish the Environmental Impact Assessment Report. Currently, the enterprise requests public opinion, so it is requested that Tuong Duong district direct them to collect public opinion. If the district does not agree, then it will not agree. It is requested that the district report to the Provincial People's Committee through the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, so that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment can continue to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a document proposing the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to revoke the Gold Mining License granted to the Capital Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company.

Tuong Duong district forces burned down the camps of illegal gold miners. Photo: Contributor

“According to voters' feedback, gold mining affects the environment, disrupts security and order, and causes many other social problems. Therefore, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment's viewpoint is to propose that the competent authority revoke the issued license,” emphasized Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Regarding voters' petitions on gold mining issues on Pu Phen mountain, Yen Tinh commune, Tuong Duong district, on December 7-8, 2021,Nghe An Electronic Newspaper has published a series of articles "Finishing the revocation of the Gold Mining Permit on Pu Phen Mountain".Implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee on inspecting and handling slow-progressing projects, in November 2020, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment proposed to revoke the gold mining license that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had granted to Thu Do Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company on Pu Phen Mountain.

Cover of the article “Resolutely withdraw the paper to close gold mining on Pu Phen mountain - Yen Tinh needs to be quiet”. Photo: Nhat Lan

Cover of the article “Resolutely withdraw the Certificate of closure of gold mining on Pu Phen mountain - Follow the law”. Photo: Nhat Lan