Raising responsibility for environmental impact assessment and evaluation
(Baonghean) - Performing its state management function, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, directly the Department of Environmental Protection, has taken many measures to improve the quality of appraisal and assessment of environmental impact reports for investment projects. In addition to carefully reviewing procedural documents in accordance with legal regulations, the Provincial Department of Environmental Protection has increased field surveys, grasped and clearly analyzed the project site. There are projects that, during the field survey, were found to not meet the site conditions due to being close to residential areas or located at the head of water sources, and were required to re-select the site, such as the project to build a centralized waste collection and treatment site in Nam Dan district; the centralized waste landfill of Thai Hoa town; the ore processing workshop project in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district.... For projects that have not met the requirements on environmental protection measures, they are required to be redone, such as: Thai Binh Duong hotel (Cua Lo); Stone quarry of Construction Materials Joint Stock Company 99, in Tru Son commune, Do Luong district; Waste treatment complex in Hung Yen commune, Hung Nguyen district...
In addition, the Department also inspected the current environmental status before appraising the EIA reports of 18 projects. In the past 3 years alone, the Department of Environmental Protection has consulted on appraising and approving 209 environmental impact assessment reports. There are 51 projects for environmental restoration in mineral exploitation activities. Appraisal and issuance of hazardous waste source registration books for 210 establishments; inspection and issuance of certificates of eligibility for scrap import for 13 establishments; organization of appraisal of oil spill response plan of 1 establishment. At the district level, 1,325 environmental protection commitments have been appraised and confirmed; over 200 environmental protection projects have been appraised and confirmed.
Checking the wastewater treatment system at Habeco Brewery in Nam Cam Industrial Park.
Along with improving the quality of appraisal and licensing of EIA reports, the Department of Environmental Protection also stepped up inspection and examination activities after EIA reports of projects. In 2 years (2011 - 2012), the Department coordinated with competent authorities to inspect the implementation of the contents of EIA reports and decided to approve EIA reports at nearly 70 business establishments. Thereby, promptly urging and directing production and business establishments to strictly implement environmental protection measures that the enterprises themselves have committed to implement in the EIA reports, thereby raising awareness of environmental protection and increasing investment in environmental protection at establishments.
The efforts and attempts in the appraisal and assessment of EIA reports in recent times have contributed to controlling and limiting the negative impacts on the environment of development investment projects in the province. However, according to Mr. Bach Hung Cu - Head of the Department of Appraisal and Assessment of Environmental Impact Reports (Provincial Department of Environmental Protection), this work is currently revealing shortcomings that need to be overcome. That is, some investors still lack a sense of responsibility for environmental protection, considering the preparation of environmental impact assessment reports for projects as a kind of "procedure", so there is no close coordination with environmental service consulting units to find practical environmental protection measures.
On the other hand, due to fear of spending money, many investors do not properly or fully implement the environmental protection measures approved in the EIA report, causing difficulties for state management agencies in checking and confirming. Another problem is that the cost of appraising and approving the EIA report (according to the Resolution of the Provincial People's Council issued in 2007) at 5 million VND/set of documents is now too outdated. "In reality, the appraisal process must organize field inspections; there are projects that are not satisfied after field inspections and must take samples for analysis and verification; hold EIA report appraisal council meetings..., if only 5 million VND fee/file is unreasonable" - Mr. Bach Hung Cu added.
Article and photos: Minh Chi
