Quy Hop: Pollution from stone processing

(Baonghean) - Arriving at the Chau Quang industrial cluster (Quy Hop), from afar, you can hear the screeching sound of stone cutting machines. Right at the massive stone processing factory of Long Vu Company, the stone cutting machines are operating simultaneously, the noise is deafening. The stone powder wastewater from inside the factory is discharged directly outside the fence, creating a chaotic waste dump of both mushy stone powder and dry stone powder piled up next to the stream flowing into Banh village.

Next door is Hoang Son Company, which has 5-7 stone cutting machines but the settling pond is very small, because it is not large enough to hold it, the stone powder waste is piled up and overflows the fence, but the company owner said: "That waste is from another factory, not ours. Here we always do well to set an example for other factories". At Phuc Nguyen Hop Company's sawmill, located near the rice fields and residential area of ​​Ca village. The sawmill was built roughly, when they saw us coming in to take pictures, the workers all turned off the machines and stopped. The stone powder waste water flows everywhere without a treatment system but flows straight down to the ground, next to the village field.

Ms. Tran Thi Hien in Banh village, Chau Quang commune, was upset: Her family has 4 sao of rice fields, but 2 sao of rice often fail due to the overflow of stone wastewater causing damage. This toxic water source also seeps into the wells, causing serious water pollution. Ms. Tran Thi Luyen in Banh village said: Most of the stone processing companies in Chau Quang industrial cluster discharge toxic stone powder into the environment. Many companies pile it in large piles outside the fence and sell it cheaply to people to make dashboard bricks. At first, they sold it for 50,000 VND/car, then lowered it to 10,000 VND/car, but people still did not buy it because this type of dashboard brick did not ensure quality. During the rainy season, the stone powder flows down the stream, destroying the fields and affecting the people's water source. Not to mention that large trucks carrying white stone day and night destroy the roads and cause dust, causing serious pollution in the whole Banh village area.

At the Thung Khuoc industrial cluster (Quy Hop town), right in the production area of ​​Thanh Xuan Company, dozens of stone cutting machines are operating noisily and bustlingly. We went around to the back and saw a makeshift wastewater pit, but surprisingly, most of the wastewater from the stone cutting machines was allowed to flow all over the yard. Right in front of the gate next to the asphalt road leading to Quy Hop town, this company dug a waste pit outside the fence, the wastewater was discharged into that makeshift waste pit while solid waste, mainly stone powder, was piled up in piles stretching over 10 meters along the asphalt road. A worker at this factory said: Thanh Xuan Company currently has 2 stone cutting facilities in Thung Khuong, the owner rented a new factory. At this new factory, we saw that most of Thanh Xuan Company did not pay attention to the environment at all, discharging waste indiscriminately, causing public outrage. At Thung Khuoc industrial cluster, there are currently 5 stone processing facilities in operation. Most of the wastewater ponds are not large enough to contain the waste, so the waste is discharged onto the road and behind it is the cemetery of Quy Hop Town. Stone powder is dumped on the side of the road, and in the sun, the dry powder spreads, causing people passing by to feel suffocated.

Solid waste from white stone processing of Thanh Xuan Company is discharged right on the roadside.

Quy Hop still has many stone processing locations, mainly spontaneous sawmills in Chau Loc, Dong Hop, Tho Hop... Through inspections at stone sawmills in Quy Hop, we found that most businesses do not pay attention to environmental work. The issue of collecting and classifying solid waste treatment still has many shortcomings, mainly in the form of coping. Some businesses do not prepare impact reports and environmental protection commitments, do not pay environmental protection fees; dump solid waste in violation of regulations, blocking and filling streams.

Mr. Tran Manh Hung - Officer of Quy Hop Department of Natural Resources and Environment said: The district has established an interdisciplinary team, since the beginning of 2014, it has organized 8 general inspections on mineral exploitation and processing, including handling environmental pollution at 2 units. The current difficulty is that in the planning of industrial clusters, there is a waste collection and treatment site, however, due to financial difficulties, most industrial clusters have not invested in waste collection and treatment sites. The district is continuing to inspect and handle units violating the environment.

In order to gradually improve the environment in Quy Hop Industrial Park, it is necessary to promote propaganda on environmental protection in many diverse forms. Handling violations must be timely and thorough to have a deterrent effect. Localities need to coordinate with competent agencies to guide enterprises and production and business establishments to prepare environmental impact reports and commit to environmental protection. Strengthen inspection, examination and supervision of the implementation of legal regulations on environmental protection, and strictly handle violations of environmental protection laws.

Van Truong