Hoang Mai B Quarry Extension: Safety and Sustainable Development Need to Be Top Priority

Many "scandals"

Hoang Mai B Stone QuarryLocated in Tan Thanh block, Hoang Mai ward (formerly Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town). This quarry was licensed by the Ministry of Heavy Industry (formerly) to Hoang Mai Stone Enterprise (now Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company) on October 23, 1995, according to Decision No. 1091.QD/QLTN, with a reserve of 11 million tons and an exploitation area of ​​7.5 hectares.

This quarry is located near a residential area; close to National Highway 1A, and the North-South railway. In particular, now that Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park is being developed, many factories in this Industrial Park are located very close to the quarry. In recent years, Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television have also published many articles about unsafe conditions when blasting at this quarry. At times, when blasting, rocks were thrown onto National Highway 1A, endangering passersby. Even when it was time to blast, the management unit had to send people to block vehicles on National Highway 1A from passing through this area to ensure safety.

Regarding Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company, in the past, this unit has been repeatedly "whistled" by the authorities. Specifically, on July 19, 2024, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town (old) issued Decision No. 913/QD-XPHC on administrative sanctions against Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company for 3 violations in the field of minerals, with a total fine of up to 256 million VND.

On December 6, 2024, this unit was also issued Decision No. 5424/QD-CT by the Nghe An Provincial Tax Department (now Nghe An Provincial Tax Department) on administrative sanctions for tax violations. Accordingly, the total amount of money that this unit was charged, fined and overpaid was more than 712 million VND.

Not to mention that before that, in 2023, the Inspectorate of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) also pointed out many violations, shortcomings and limitations at Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company. Some of these violations include: Mining has not been consistent with the technical design of Hoang Mai B limestone mine; some contents in the approved Environmental Impact Assessment Report have not been fully implemented; there is no complete system for handling rock dust, no filtering equipment, dust residue, no dust collection with filter bags during the drilling and blasting process, no trees have been planted...

Also in 2023, after the Department of Industrial Safety and Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade inspected and recorded a report on this unit after blasting caused rocks to fly onto National Highway 1A. After that, this unit had its license to use industrial explosives revoked.

In fact, not only has the quarry of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company been "whistled" many times, after a long period of exploitation, it has revealed many shortcomings that affect the implementation of Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park. Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company (investor of Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park) has also reported and recommended many times to stop exploitation of the quarry of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company.

According to the report of Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company, the quarry of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company is located too close to the land plot for the construction of Runergy factory (a factory producing silicon bars and semiconductor discs, used in solar panel components), only 0.64km; and only 1km from Ju Teng factory (a factory producing electronic components and auto parts). These factories are all high-tech factories, with strict requirements on the environment as well as absolute stability and flatness of the workshop and equipment during the production process.

Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company also proposed to consider a plan to support part of the profits earned from stone mining activities for Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company due to stopping stone mining before the deadline (when the stone mining period has not expired).

Even the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town (at the time when the district level had not been abolished) had requested the competent authority not to continue to extend (or grant new operating licenses) in this mining area so as not to affect the people, National Highway 1A and Hoang Mai Industrial Park I.

Consultation on extension

Regarding Hoang Mai B stone mine, after the exploitation period expired according to Decision 1091.QD/QLTN, Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company submitted a request to extend the mineral exploitation license to the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

However, in order to have a basis to advise the Provincial People's Committee to consider the above extension, on October 13, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment issued Document No. 9087/SNNMT.KS to the departments, branches and the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward, asking for opinions. In this document, the Department of Agriculture and Environment also stated that the mining area was granted a mineral exploitation license by the competent authority since 1995, and up to now, the economic and social conditions of the province have changed a lot. Therefore, the process of mineral exploitation activities in the mining area has many factors that need to be reviewed and assessed to assess the impact of mineral exploitation activities on the surrounding environment (impact on people living near the mine, rocks thrown onto National Highway 1A, blasting affecting Hoang Mai Industrial Park 1).

The Department of Agriculture and Environment also requested the Department of Industry and Trade to comment on whether the Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company continues to operate its mining operations and whether it meets the conditions for licensing industrial explosives. How will the safety of people traveling on National Highway 1A, the North-South railway and civil and industrial works near the mine area be ensured?

We request the Department of Construction to give its opinion on whether Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company, if it continues to exploit minerals, will ensure the conditions for management and licensing of mineral activities as construction materials; ensure safety for National Highway 1A and the North-South railway; protect the landscape when exploiting minerals near National Highway 1A and other related contents.

Request the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone to comment on the impact of mineral exploitation activities in the above-mentioned mine area on Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park. At the same time, request Nghe An Provincial Tax Department to review tax compliance with mineral exploitation activities of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company.

In particular, the Department of Agriculture and Environment requested the People's Committee of Hoang Mai ward to give opinions on the impact of mineral exploitation activities, blasting, environmental impact, people living near the mine area and civil and industrial works near the mine area...

The Department of Agriculture and Environment also requested departments, branches and localities to give their opinions on the request of Hoang Mai Stone Joint Stock Company to extend the above-mentioned Mineral Exploitation License.

In fact, at the local level, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward is currently collecting opinions from people in Tan Thanh block, as well as related departments and offices. Mr. Vu Xuan Luong - Head of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Department, Hoang Mai Ward People's Committee informed that Tan Thanh block has sent opinions to the ward, in which they basically agree with the license extension, but require safety when blasting. However, the specialized department is currently synthesizing opinions to submit to the Standing Committee of the Ward Party Committee for comments, then will send to the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Based on the reality of what happened at Hoang Mai B quarry in recent years, the extension of mineral exploitation here needs to be carefully considered, placed in the overall development planning of the locality and the province. The authorities also need to comprehensively assess the safety, environmental and community impact factors. The extension or not depends not only on the records, but also on the reality, seriously assessing the consequences that the quarry has caused, in order to make the most correct decision, ensuring the harmony of interests in economic and social development.

Tien Dong