Responding to voters of Quy Chau district about utilizing sand from riverbank alluvial deposits to build rural traffic
(Baonghean.vn) - Voters of Chau Binh commune, Quy Chau district requested the Provincial People's Committee to guide and create conditions for people to take advantage of sand on riverbanks of the commune to build concrete traffic within the village and within the fields.
Reply:
According to Article 82 of the Law on Minerals, there are two competent authorities that are authorized to grant mineral exploitation licenses: the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Provincial People's Committee. Organizations and individuals requesting a license to exploit minerals (including sand and gravel from riverbank alluvial deposits) must conduct exploration, approve reserves, prepare environmental protection records, design mines, etc. and follow the procedures for granting mineral exploitation licenses as prescribed in Article 60 of Decree No. 158/2016/ND-CP dated November 29, 2016 of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Minerals.
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| A corner of Tan Lac Town (Quy Chau). Photo: Ke Kien |
Currently, the Law on Minerals and other relevant legal documents do not allow the exploitation of sand and gravel as proposed by voters. Therefore, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has no basis to advise the Provincial People's Committee to guide people to exploit sand and gravel as proposed.
Currently, the Government is drafting amendments to the 2010 Mineral Law. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has suggested including this content in the legal document, so that it can be applied in practice according to voters' recommendations.
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People of Do 3 village, Chau Binh commune, build a road. Photo: Thanh Quynh |
In Quy Chau district, the Provincial People's Committee has allowed Truong Linh private enterprise to exploit sand and gravel in Tan Lac town and Chau Thang commune, solving the difficulty of sand and gravel materials in the district./.