Two more mineral exploitation enterprises in Quy Hop district were fined hundreds of millions of dong for encroaching on forest land.

Nghe An Provincial People's Committee has just issued a decision to administratively fine Kieu Phat Trading Company Limited located in Lien Hop Commune, Quy Hop District a total of VND448 million for three administrative violations.

This move took place after the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a decision.Establish an interdisciplinary inspection team to inspect mineral activities and compliance with land laws of enterprises in Quy Hop district on May 17, 2024.

On July 11, during an inspection at this company, the delegation discovered that the company had encroached on 32,000m2.²Production forest land in rural areas in Thung Xan 2, Lien Hop commune for dumping soil, waste dump and building a mine office... when the State agency had not leased the land, the violation period was from 2019. For this act, the enterprise was fined 210,000,000 VND; at the same time, remedial measures were taken to restore the original state of the land before the violation and to return the encroached and occupied land; to return the illegal profits gained from the violation in the amount of 128,000,000 VND.

The second action is to prepare statistical reports and inventory reserves.Minerals remaining in the permitted exploitation area without full information according to the form prescribed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. This act is subject to a fine of 30,000,000 VND.

The third act is not keeping complete books, vouchers, documents, and related materials to determine the actual annual mining output. This act is subject to a fine of VND 80,000,000.

In addition, during this period, the People's Committee of Nghe An province alsopunishHop Thinh Company Limited (address: Small industrial park, Quy Hop town, Quy Hop district) due to many violations in the fields of land, water resources and minerals.

Specifically, this enterprise committed 4 administrative violations. Of which, there was 1 violation in the field of land and 3 violations in the field of water resources and minerals. Specifically, the company encroached on 1.7 hectares of production forest land in Thung Xu area, Lien Hop commune to make a dumping site and build a camp without being leased land by a State agency (the violation period was from 2019 to the date of inspection).

Administrative violations in the field of water resources and minerals include: Making false statistical reports and inventories of remaining mineral reserves in the permitted exploitation area without full information according to the form of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Making incomplete books, vouchers, documents, and related materials to determine actual annual exploitation output; Exploiting the wrong open-pit system.

For the above violations, Hop Thinh Company Limited was fined a total of 355 million VND by the People's Committee of Nghe An province. Of which, the act of encroaching on forest land alone was fined 210 million VND, along with 128 million VND of illegal profits gained from the violation.

According to the reporter's investigation, not only Hop Thinh Company Limited, but most of the mineral exploitation enterprises in Quy Hop district were discovered to have encroached on land when inspected. Most recently, Thanh Trung Company Limited (headquartered in Cau Da hamlet, Chau Loc commune, Quy Hop district) was also discovered to have dumped soil, waste rock, and built a rock gathering area in an area that had not been allocated or leased land by the competent authority according to regulations on an area of ​​1.97 hectares in the area adjacent to the company's mine in Ken village, Chau Loc commune, for the past 3 years.

For this act, Thanh Trung Company Limited was fined 100 million VND and forced to continue the procedures for land allocation and land lease according to regulations for an area of ​​1.97 hectares, within 180 days; forced to return the illegal profits gained from committing the administrative violation with an amount of more than 47 million VND.

In addition, the company also encroached on nearly 2 hectares of production forest land to dump waste soil and rock, create a product gathering area, and build temporary camps for workers. For this act, Thanh Trung Company Limited was also fined 100 million VND and 22 million VND in illegal profits gained from the violation.

Similarly, Quang Son Mineral Exploitation and Processing Joint Stock Company was also discovered to have encroached on 1.5835 hectares of land to dump waste soil and rock, dig ponds to store water for production, and build temporary shelters for workers in Thung Sa Nhan, Chau Loc commune. In addition, this company also encroached on 0.62 hectares of production forest land in rural areas.

Previously, in 2022, Quy Hop district sanctioned more than 20 cases in the field of mineral exploitation activities with a total amount of nearly 3 billion VND. In addition to environmental protection violations, land encroachment at mines is also common.

Of which, Phu Thang Company Limited was fined nearly 55 million VND for encroaching on unused mountainous land in Chau Hong commune; Nghe An Mineral Joint Stock Company was fined 158 million VND for encroaching on unused mountainous land in Chau Tien commune; Ha Quang Company Limited was fined 140 million VND for violating the mineral exploitation beyond the licensed scope; Thanh Chau Nghe An Mineral Joint Stock Company was fined more than 150 million VND for 4 violations, including the act of encroaching on production forest land.

In addition, Hong Bao Ngoc Company Limited was fined nearly 153 million VND for 3 violations, including the act of occupying unused mountainous land; Nghe Tinh Non-ferrous Metal Joint Stock Company was fined nearly 32 million VND for occupying unused mountainous land; An Son Joint Stock Company was fined nearly 445 million VND for the act of occupying land, mining outside the boundary, not installing a weighing station; not keeping complete books and documents; RICOH-MDC 4 Mineral Joint Stock Company was fined 56 million VND for the act of mining outside the licensed mine boundary.