Death traps from mining enterprises

Lan Toong Mountain, located in Chau Hong and Chau Thanh communes (Quy Hop district), has recently been the scene of a series of fatal accidents. The victims were local people who were scavenging for ore in tunnels and dumps left by businesses. After decades of exploitation, the mountain is now like a honeycomb, with a dense network of tunnels stretching dozens of meters.

Standing from a distance, one can easily see the numerous tunnels left behind by mining companies after their mining period has ended or they have been suspended. To collect the little remaining ore, people often follow these tunnels deep inside. The reclamation process has not been strictly followed, causing mineral mining sites to become deadly traps for people.

According to regulations, land reclamation is a mandatory obligation of units and enterprises after the end of mineral resource exploitation activities. The Law on Minerals, the Law on Environmental Protection, Decree 68 of the Government, Circular 126 of the Ministry of Finance, Industry, Natural Resources and Environment also clearly stipulate that units and enterprises operating in the mining sector must sign the Environmental Restoration Fund depending on the level, area and reserves of the mine to resolve environmental consequences after exploitation....

The environmental restoration fund will be equivalent to the cost of compensation and restoration of the status quo before exploitation. The State will keep the deposit of the exploitation enterprises. After the exploitation is completed, if the enterprise restores the land to its current status as committed, it can withdraw that amount of money. In case the enterprise does not do so, the State will use that fund to pay the cost of hiring the implementation. After the land is restored, the competent authorities such as the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and local authorities will be responsible for acceptance.

However, the reality is different. “Many tunnels were not collapsed. In our place, they just covered the entrance with a few sacks of soil, the inside is still intact. If we want to go in to collect ore, we just need to gently lift the sacks out,” said Truong Van Hien (30 years old) in Chau Hong commune. Hien is the husband of one of the three victims who died in the tunnel collapse in mid-March.Being present at Lan Toong Mountain, reporters easily discovered a series of tunnels left by businesses after they stopped operating. Under those tunnels, every day, hundreds of local people still brave the danger to collect ore to make a living.Meanwhile, speaking with a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper, a representative of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed that the mining tunnels in this mountain have been reclaimed by filling their mouths.

With death traps from illegal mining enterprises such as the gold mines in Tuong Duong district, land reclamation is of course not a job.

According to a source, in Quy Hop district, there are 20 mines that have expired their mining licenses, but only 2 have reclaimed the land. Through inspections, the locality has repeatedly made recommendations to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to take strong measures and require businesses to reclaim the land to ensure safety, but many businesses have ignored it or only done it perfunctorily.Meanwhile, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An, currently in the province there are over 140 mineral mines that have expired or stopped operating, and need to carry out procedures to close mines and restore the environment according to regulations.