Sludge dam failure: Detection of dam not included in design

(Baonghean.vn) - While conducting an inspection of compliance with the law on environmental and mineral protection for Nghe Tinh Non-ferrous Metals Joint Stock Company in Decision No. 377/QD-BTNMT of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment dated March 13, 2017, the Inspection Team discovered a sludge dam that was not included in the design right below the screening area.

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On the morning of March 15, at the headquarters of Nghe Tinh Non-ferrous Metals Joint Stock Company (Quy Hop Town, Quy Hop District), Mr. Nguyen Thuong Hien - Director of the Department of Waste Management and Environmental Improvement (General Department of Environment), Head of the inspection team, announced Decision No. 377/QD-BTNMT of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

The inspection team under Decision 377/QD-BTNMT conducted an inspection of the site of the broken sludge dam (Director Nguyen Thuong Hien is the second person from the left). Photo: Nhat Lan

In Decision 337, the members of the Inspection Team, in addition to the Department of Waste Management and Environmental Improvement, also include the Department of Mineral Activities Control in the North (General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam); representatives of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Environmental Protection; the Environmental Police Department of the Provincial Police; representatives of the People's Committee of Quy Hop district and the two communes of Chau Thanh and Chau Quang. The unit participating in collecting and analyzing environmental samples is the Institute of Environmental Technology under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

When inspecting the tin screening site of Suoi Bac Tin Factory (Nghe Tinh Non-ferrous Metals Joint Stock Company), the inspection team discovered that under the screening system there was a waste dump connected to a sludge dam. At the waste dump and the dam, there was a lot of gray-black sludge, emitting sulfide fumes.

The inspection team determined that this landfill and dam were not included in the design and took samples for testing.

The inspection team discovered a dam containing waste sludge that was not included in the design. Photo: Nhat Lan

Staff of the Institute of Environmental Technology take samples for testing. Photo: Nhat Lan

Also through the inspection, the initial members of the delegation determined that the wastewater of Suoi Bac Tin Factory was not recycled as stated in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report approved by the competent authority./.

NUnicorn - Duc Chuyen