Danger from illegal gasoline "bombs" in Nghe An

No license still open gas station

Without a license or certificate of eligibility to trade in gasoline, Tuan Su gasoline store located in Quynh Luong commune (Quynh Luu) has been operating freely.

According to the investigation, this gas station was built on residential land, but when trading in gasoline, the land use purpose has not been changed, so it does not meet the conditions for granting a certificate of eligibility for business. Although not licensed, this gas station is still open continuously day and night to sell gasoline to customers.

Tuan Su petrol station (Quynh Luong commune, Quynh Luu) was built on residential land and is still operating normally. Photo: PV

Mr. Ho Viet Su - owner of Tuan Su petrol station said that his family has completed the documents and sent them to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quynh Luu district to change the land use purpose, now waiting for the results, only then will they be granted a certificate of eligibility to do business.

However, when we asked why the family still sold gasoline when they were not qualified to do business, Mr. Su admitted and said that the store mainly served gasoline for his family's transport vehicles. But when he was there, the gas station still filled up gasoline for other vehicles passing through Provincial Road 537B.

Customers come to fill up gas at Tuan Su gas station. Photo: PV

Similarly, at the No. 1 petrol station of Long Loan Private Enterprise (in Block 7, Cau Giat Town, Quynh Luu District) is also on the list of stations that must correct many violations due to not converting the purpose of using residential land to business land; violating the road traffic safety corridor as well as not having a construction permit, so this station must correct.

However, when we came to inquire, Long Loan had not completed the procedures in accordance with the provisions of the law but continued to operate.

Not only is the business of gasoline without a license, the existence of gas stations inside houses at Lach Quen port, Tien Thuy commune, Quynh Thuan is posing a high risk of fire and explosion...

At Ngoc Ly petrol station in Duc Xuan hamlet (Tien Thuy), the business space is extremely dirty, with a tangled system of pumping lines surrounding the petrol pumps. Not only that, the petrol storage tanks are dug deep underground, right inside the house.

According to research, along Lach Quen port, Tien Thuy commune currently has about 7 business establishments with fuel storage inside the house. Although these stores are all qualified to trade in fuel, but the issue of planning and fire prevention system is whether it is reasonable or not?

Time-delayed "bombs"

In January 2019, after reviewing and synthesizing the results of removing obstacles in petroleum business according to Notice No. 658/TB - People's Committee of Quynh Luu district, there were 8 petroleum stores that did not meet business conditions and are currently temporarily suspended.

However, according to our research, in the first days of April 2019, many establishments that do not meet the conditions for trading in gasoline are still operating, such as: Thao Quynh gasoline stores (Quynh Tam commune), Tuan Su (Quynh Minh commune); Long Loan gasoline store No. 1 (Cau Giat town)...

Vinh Manh petrol station (Quynh Van commune) was fined and had its sign removed due to not meeting business conditions and its license expiring. Photo: PV

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Economic - Infrastructure Department of Quynh Luu district, said that in 2018, the district established inspection teams for 41 establishments, handled 34 establishments and collected fines of 320 million VND, mainly for violations of not meeting business conditions, not wearing signs, not registering sales hours, etc.

Typically, the Vinh Manh petrol station in Quynh Van was fined 45 million VND for not meeting business conditions and having an expired license. The Hoang Gia Petroleum Company (located in Vinh City, Nghe An) suspended the operation of an unlicensed oil tanker at Lach Quen fishing port.

Many gas stations in Lach Quen (Tien Thuy commune) have oil storage tanks located inside houses, posing a high risk of fire and explosion. Photo: PV

"In the coming time, the department will advise the District People's Committee to continue to establish inspection teams for unlicensed gas stations to take measures to suspend operations until they meet the conditions to allow them to resume business" - Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan added.

In Hoang Mai town, the fact that a series of gas stations and oil stations without licenses are still openly operating is an alarming issue regarding illegal gas trading today.

Clustered pump lines, some stores without signs at gas stations in Lach Quen port. Photo: PV

According to statistics, the entire Hoang Mai town currently has over 30 petrol businesses, of which 20 are not qualified to do business and 5 are completing business licensing procedures. Some stores are not qualified to do business such as: Le Minh Chau oil plant (along Quynh Lap creek); Le Thi Hoai oil plant (along Quynh Lap creek); Vi Hien petrol store (Quynh Vinh commune)...

Most of the petrol businesses in Hoang Mai are small businesses without licenses, without signs and operating at a low level.

Gasoline is a conditional business based on planning and licensing by the state. However, gas stations that do not meet the business conditions still exist openly like ticking time bombs.

In addition to Hoang Mai town and Quynh Luu district, in Dien Chau district there are 13 illegal gas stations still operating, which are being requested to be eliminated by the authorities, including:

1. Vu Van Thong in Trung Thanh hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

2. Tran Van Ty in Ngoc Tan hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

3. Dau Tran Loi in Ngoc Tan hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

4. Tran Huu Ly in village 4, Dien Ky commune

5. Le Thi Cau in Nam Thinh hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

6. Tran Dinh Doi in Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

7. Nguyen Van Ba ​​in Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

8. Tran Dinh Quang in Trung Thanh hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

9. Vu Van Nam in Trung Thanh hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

10. Hoang Thi An in Yen Quang hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune

11. Tran Van Dong in Chien Thang hamlet, Dien Bich commune

12. Van Thu Private Enterprise in Hamlet 10, Dien My Commune

13. Pham Van Minh in hamlet 16, Dien Hoang commune

PV