Vinh City needs to overcome environmental pollution in industrial clusters

Comrade Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

Many environmental concerns

For Vinh city, environmental protection work in recent times has been focused on leadership and direction, associated with attracting resources to invest in infrastructure. Notably, the city has built and put into operation a domestic wastewater treatment system with a capacity of 25,000 m3/day and night; a domestic solid waste treatment complex in Nghi Yen; invested in a drainage system in the city, planted trees, and cleaned the environment...

However, through actual supervision at a number of production and business establishments and monitoring the feedback of voters and the press, a number of members pointed out many issues that the city needs to pay attention to.

Although the city has invested in a domestic wastewater treatment system, it has not met practical needs, because the city's domestic wastewater volume is about 40,000 m3/day and night, while the new treatment system only has a capacity of 25,000 m3/day and night.

Nghi Yen Waste Treatment Complex is also overloaded and there are no measures to treat wastewater in this area.

Besides, 3/5 of the industrial clusters in operation today have not invested in a synchronous wastewater treatment system, and wastewater from enterprises is basically discharged directly into the environment.

Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Dau Vinh Thinh affirmed that the city will continue to overcome the pollution situation at the industrial park. Photo: Mai Hoa

Regarding the practice at Xuan Ngoc Company Limited (Dong Vinh Industrial Park), in 2016 and 2017, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspectorate inspected and concluded that the enterprise should address environmental protection issues, such as toxic waste treatment, industrial waste treatment, etc. However, the facility has not yet implemented them; Deputy Head of the Culture and Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Thi Lan suggested that the city should monitor and request the enterprise to strictly implement them, creating changes in the environment.

Deputy Head of the Provincial People's Council's Legal Committee Tran Dinh Toan provided more information about Xuan Ngoc Company Limited, the inspection of the unit's environmental protection commitment documents was too sketchy; the environmental monitoring results performed by the unit contracted by another enterprise were all good, but the actual monitoring was completely different.

The Provincial People's Council's monitoring delegation investigated the shift meal regime of workers at Hoang Thi Loan Textile Joint Stock Company. Photo: Mai Hoa

Concluding this content, sharing that the number of enterprises in the area is large, mainly small and medium-sized; investment and management of industrial clusters still have many shortcomings, while the force in charge of environmental work is too thin, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien suggested that the city needs to review and classify each group of enterprises, paying attention to enterprises that cause environmental pollution for regular inspection and examination, combined with strict handling after inspection and examination, only then can we create changes in the environment in the city.

Along with that, the city needs to study to overcome the pollution situation in industrial clusters; re-examine the process of appraisal, approval of commitments and environmental protection plans for production and business establishments strictly, and at the same time monitor after approval, ensuring that commitments are seriously implemented.

The city also needs to have solutions to ensure that environmental monitoring activities at production and business establishments are substantive; pay attention to resolving recommendations and feedback from voters and people related to environmental protection issues in the area.

Many businesses owe large social insurance debts

According to the report, in the city, there are currently 3,696 enterprises participating in social insurance payments for employees, of which 2,481 enterprises owe social insurance, of which 155 enterprises owe more than 12 months; total social insurance debt is 148 billion VND. This situation affects the rights of employees, especially the settlement of policies for employees when they reach retirement age or unfortunately have an accident.

Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien requested the city to overcome environmental pollution in industrial clusters. Photo: Mai Hoa

In addition to the above issue, through monitoring, an emerging issue pointed out by the Provincial People's Council's monitoring is that due to the fact that the enterprises are mainly small and medium-sized, the production lines are outdated, combined with the low sense of responsibility of the enterprises, the working environment at many production facilities has a very high risk of occupational safety. In addition, in some facilities, the work intensity of the workers is high, but the salary regime paid is not commensurate.

From the above issues, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council requested the Vinh City People's Committee to actively coordinate with the sectors to strengthen inspection and handling work with sufficient deterrence, the important thing is to protect the rights of workers.