The meeting that Yen Tinh Commune Party Secretary Quang Van Dang informed was organized by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on November 24, 2023. Attending the meeting were a delegation from the Vietnam Minerals Department, Tuong Duong District People's Committee, representatives of the leaders of Yen Tinh and Yen Na communes and Thu Do General Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company.
The meeting proceedings recorded in the minutes show that information and issues related to the gold mining project on Pu Phen Mountain were dissected quite thoroughly. Specifically, Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company was granted a Mineral Exploitation License No. 75/GP-BTNMT on January 19, 2017 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, allowing it to mine primary gold ore in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province, for a period of 15 years. In Clause 5, Article 2 of the License, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment required Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company to re-establish the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and the Environmental Improvement and Restoration Plan of the Investment Project. However, this company has been slow to implement the relevant procedures to put the project into operation.
Nearly 5 years later, on December 7, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 9556/UBND-CN assigning the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to report to the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to propose to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to revoke the Mineral Exploitation License No. 75/GP-BTNMT. In carrying out the assigned tasks, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment issued Official Dispatches No. 5042/STNMT-KS dated September 6, 2021 and No. 7926/STNMT-KS dated December 20, 2021 proposing to revoke the mineral exploitation license. However, instead of considering the proposal, the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam and the Department of Minerals of Vietnam issued three official dispatches (No. 2953/ĐCKS-KS dated October 26, 2021, No. 3157/ĐCKS-KS dated October 19, 2022 and No. 114/KSVN-TĐHS dated February 7, 2023) requesting the Company to report to the Provincial People's Committee, relevant professional agencies and localities of the province for permission, guidance and support to complete the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the project, submit it to the competent authority for approval to proceed with exploitation. As a locality that has suffered many consequences of gold mining, of course Tuong Duong district and the two communes of Yen Tinh and Yen Na do not agree to continue implementing the project. Then on February 9, 2023, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment issued Official Dispatch No. 641/STNMTKS in response, notifying the opinion of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district to the Department of Minerals and the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam.
On the side of Thu Do General Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company, at the meeting, the process of re-establishing the Environmental Impact Assessment Report was explained. According to the company representative, by November 2021, the company had requested the People's Committees of Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes to allow public consultation. However, due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, this phase has not been implemented. On January 4, 2023, the Company submitted a request for approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, but lacked the minutes of the meeting with the community where the project was implemented. Therefore, it requested to work with the Provincial People's Committee to be directed to continue to conduct public consultation. At the same time, it committed that in case the people do not agree, it will agree to revoke and terminate the license.
Attending the meeting, Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Huu Hien, recalled the consequences of gold mining activities on Pu Phen Mountain that the locality had to bear in the past; the difficulties and hardships in sweeping and repelling gold thieves of the province, district and related communes. The Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee also did not forget to mention that from 2017, the time the license was granted until 2021, Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company had no activities in the area; the project was behind schedule as concluded by the Provincial People's Committee in Official Dispatch No. 9556/UBND-CN dated December 7, 2021; and Tuong Duong District had issued a document (No. 1372/UBNDNL dated December 20, 2021, No. 1439/UBND-NL dated December 31, 2022) requesting the revocation of the mineral exploitation license. Thereby, affirming that the Party Committee and the government of Tuong Duong district maintain their viewpoint and continue to request competent authorities to revoke Mineral Exploitation License No. 75/GP-BTNMT.
The leaders of Yen Tinh and Yen Na communes, when speaking, also shared the same opinion with the leaders of Tuong Duong district. Particularly, the Party Secretary of Yen Tinh commune, Quang Van Dang, also informed that within the scope of the exploitation license, there are currently 12 households building a tea model, which is an OCOP product of the locality according to the orientation of the district and the province, aiming at economic development for the people. Therefore, it is recommended not to implement the project.
At the meeting, Mr. Vo Van Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, also discussed. According to Mr. Ngoc, the project belongs to the world biosphere reserve, there are difficulties in converting land use purposes; the project is behind schedule, the Provincial People's Committee has assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to preside over and propose to competent authorities to resolve. Therefore, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has Official Dispatches No. 5042/STNMT-KS dated September 6, 2021 and No. 7926/STNMT-KS dated December 20, 2021 sent to the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to propose revoking the mineral exploitation license...
The meeting on November 24, 2023 ended with the content agreed upon by the relevant parties. Specifically: “The project has been permitted for implementation by the People's Committees at all levels and relevant professional agencies, and has been licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. However, the project is behind schedule, and its implementation is at risk of causing environmental pollution. Representatives of the People's Committees of Tuong Duong district, Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes are concerned that the project implementation may negatively impact security and order, and environmental protection in the area, and recommend that competent authorities terminate the project. Regarding the biosphere reserve, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is requested to provide additional information as a basis for consultation. While the Company has not completed the relevant procedures, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An province is requested to consider and advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct the management and protection of unexploited minerals in the area according to regulations".
Regarding the investment project to exploit the original gold ore on Pu Phen mountain in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Nghe An Newspaper has reported in many articles; the most recent one was on January 13, 2023 with the article "Is Quiet in danger of becoming restless?”. The actual process of implementing these articles confirms that the consequences that have lasted for many years in Yen Tinh commune, caused by gold mining, are real; the efforts to repel and end gold bandits by the Party Committee and the government of Tuong Duong district and the two communes of Yen Tinh and Yen Na are also real. And at the present time, the desire of the cadres and people of Tuong Duong district is to completely end gold mining in the area.
As for the cadres and people of Yen Tinh and Yen Na communes, they hope that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will revoke the license granted to Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company. Specifically, as discussed by the Secretary of the Yen Tinh Commune Party Committee, Mr. Quang Van Dang, which Nghe An Newspaper mentioned in the article "Is Yen Tinh at risk of not being peaceful again?", that: "Currently, on Pu Phen mountain, people have been producing stably, organizing and building economic models such as preserving and developing tea; gold mining will continue to cause many consequences such as social evils, environmental pollution... for the locality and neighboring communes. For these reasons, the Party Committee, government and people do not agree to gold mining on Pu Phen mountain. The Party Committee, government and people of Yen Tinh commune do not agree that Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company should consult the village community...".
