Chau Hong tin area, still worried about pollution...
After checking and discovering that Thiec Ha An Company Ltd. discharged wastewater causing Suoi Bac to turn yellow and cloudy, Chau Hong Commune People's Committee proactively took some water samples and sent them to Nghe An Center for Natural Resources and Environment Monitoring for testing. The results showed that the water samples had many parameters exceeding the threshold.
Water contaminated with heavy metals, acidic
The incident was inspected and discovered by the People's Committee of Chau Hong commune.Ha An Tin Company LimitedThe discharge of wastewater causing Suoi Bac to turn yellow was reported by Baonghean.vn on September 7, 2025.
Accordingly, on September 6, 2025, the People's Committee of Chau Hong commune sent Report No. 67/BC-UBND on "Results of inspection of the cause of turbid water in Chau Hong commune" to the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Nghe An Center for Natural Resources and Environment Monitoring. The content of the Report is as follows:
“At about 7:30 a.m. on September 6, 2025, the People's Committee of Chau Hong Commune received a complaint from the people of Trung Thanh Hamlet (Chau Hong Commune) about the water from the upstream of Suoi Bac flowing through Trung Thanh Hamlet being unusually yellow and cloudy. The People's Committee of Chau Hong Commune coordinated with the Commune Police to conduct an inspection and verification in the Suoi Bac area, with the following results: The yellow and cloudy water source originated from the mine area of Thiec Ha An Company Limited. At the time of the inspection, Thiec Ha An Company Limited did not discharge waste into the environment. However, at the last settling tank of the wastewater settling tank system (the bank of the tank was made of earth), to the west of the mine area of Thiec Ha An Company Limited with an area of about 800m2, there were signs of new water withdrawal, there was little water in the tank, the bank of the tank showed signs of being dug up and newly filled with earth.
Through inspection and work, Director of Thiec Ha An Company Limited - Mr. Doan Van Thinh acknowledged: "On September 5, 2025, Thiec Ha An Company Limited cleaned the water channel and water tank, discharged a large amount of mud that had accumulated for a long time into the water source, causing the Suoi Bac water source to have a cloudy yellow color".
Chau Hong Commune People's Committee took photos of the scene, recorded videos, made a working record, and collected 3 water samples at 3 locations: sample 01 at the settling tank; sample 02 at the ditch near the settling tank; sample 03 at the Suoi Bac area at the section flowing through Tien Thanh bridge, Chau Hong commune to send to Nghe An Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center for analysis and assessment of the pollution level. As of 4:30 p.m. on September 6, 2025, Chau Hong Commune People's Committee had not discovered any dead fish or aquatic organisms in the river or stream through which the turbid water flows.
Because the People's Committee of Chau Hong commune does not have the expertise and technical means to determine the wastewater flow and analyze samples to determine the pollution level as a basis for handling violations. Therefore, the People's Committee of Chau Hong commune reports and requests the Department of Agriculture and Environment; the Environmental Protection Department of Nghe An province to conduct a field inspection and support the People's Committee of the commune to handle violations according to regulations.
Contacting the Chairman of Chau Hong Commune People's Committee - Mr. Cao The Bao on the morning of September 7, 2025, it was known that the working group of Chau Hong Commune People's Committee continued to go to the scene to conduct investigation and verification. At the same time, the Chairman of Chau Hong Commune People's Committee informed that "3 water samples taken on September 6 were transferred by Chau Hong Commune People's Committee to the Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center for analysis and determination of the level of pollution...".
By September 16, 2025, Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television reporters had the sample analysis results, which showed that there were many worrying parameters in the water, such as: TSS 420mg/L; Iron 201.5mg/L; Nickel 1.93mg/L; Zinc 8.79mg/L; Ph 3.10mg/L...
Talking with Chairman of Chau Hong Commune People's Committee Cao The Bao, we learned more clearly that this is the result of analyzing water sample No. 02 that the Commune People's Committee took from the drainage ditch near the settling tank of Thiec Ha An Company Limited. The test results showed that the wastewater was contaminated with heavy metals and was acidic.
Mr. Cao The Bao said: “In the Suoi Bac area, Chau Hong commune, enterprises are licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (formerly) to mine underground; the treatment of sludge and wastewater is organized on high mountains, so there are many limitations and shortcomings. Therefore, the risk of environmental pollution is always present. As for the current commune government, although there are 24 mineral mines in the area, there is a lack of environmental staff, limited operating budget, and no technical means to promptly and accurately check the level of pollution, wastewater flow, etc.
Therefore, it is very difficult to inspect, handle violations, and rectify enterprises. Therefore, based on the results of water sample testing, the People's Committee of Chau Hong commune will send a report to the competent authority and the Department of Agriculture and Environment for guidance on handling in accordance with legal regulations, as well as rectify the production activities of enterprises...".
When will Chau Hong stop worrying about pollution?
In the Suoi Bac tin ore area, Chau Hong commune, the environmental incident was first known through the collapse of the tin sludge dam of Nghe Tinh Non-ferrous Metals Joint Stock Company in March 2017. From here, the authorities investigated and verified to clearly see the consequences of environmental pollution from tin ore mining; at the same time, it was determined that tin ore mining enterprises in this area lacked awareness of environmental protection.
Regarding Thiec Ha An Company Limited, on October 17, 2018, Baonghean.vn reported through the article "Nghe An: "Mud bomb" still hanging on the mountain two years after the disaster of the sludge dam burst". After that, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (old) inspected tonOn November 1, 2018, Official Dispatch No. 6538/STNMT-BVMT reported to the Provincial People's Committee that the press's reflection that Thiec Ha An Company Limited violated environmental laws in mineral exploitation activities was well-founded; and the Inspection Team of the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam made a record, took samples for analysis as a basis for handling according to regulations.
Not stopping there, on October 12, 2021, Thiec Ha An Company Limited was fined a total of VND 234.6 million by the Provincial People's Committee for occupying production forest land in the Bac stream area, Chau Hong commune to build a grinding and ore selection system, water tanks, wastewater treatment system, and worker housing with an area of 1.23 hectares on production forest land.
On April 28, 2023, after inspection, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district issued a decision to fine Thiec Ha An Company Limited a total of 111 million VND for dumping soil and sludge after the ore selection process, beyond the boundary of the land leased for a dumping site with an area of 1.1 hectares at Suoi Bac, Chau Hong commune.
On May 28, 2024, the Inspection Team, following the Decision of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (old), drew up a Record of Administrative Violations. The People's Committee of Quy Hop District issued a decision to fine Thiec Ha An Company Limited VND 250 million; at the same time, suspend mineral exploitation activities for 4.5 months...
However, on June 30, 2024, there was an incident where Nam Huong stream water in Chau Thanh commune (old) turned yellow and cloudy, with unusual fish deaths, and the cause was verified by authorities to be the discharge of waste from Thiec Ha An Company Limited.
And as mentioned above, after 1 year, Suoi Bac water continued to turn yellow and cloudy. This time, the cause was also from the discharge of waste into the natural environment of Thiec Ha An Company Limited.
With this information, it is affirmed that the Chau Hong tin ore area with underground mining methods; sludge and wastewater treatment on high mountains (mining height up to +520m), always has the potential risk of environmental pollution incidents; and the concerns and worries of the Chau Hong commune Party Committee and government, which have only been in operation for 2 months, are completely justified. This is also an issue related to the lives and health of the people and is of great concern to public opinion, so it is recommended that competent authorities pay attention to inspect and handle it thoroughly.
“The incident of Suoi Bac water being polluted on September 6, 2025 has continued to raise concerns among people in Quy Hop commune. Because this is the upstream area supplying domestic water for Quy Hop town (old). From this incident, the People's Committee of Quy Hop commune proposed that the Provincial People's Committee pay attention, direct the clarification of responsibilities and rectify the environmental protection work of related enterprises; at the same time, direct the implementation of changing the input water source for Quy Hop Water Plant…”
Mr. Quan Vi Giang - Chairman of People's Committee of Quy Hop commune