From cleaning up the hydroelectric reservoir...

CLEANING THE LAKE DRAWING

In early January 2020, we learned about the "strange smell" incident in Tuong Duong mountainous district. On that occasion, on a trip from the residential area of ​​Ban Ve (Yen Na commune) down Provincial Road 534B to the villages of Luong Minh commune, we encountered a "strange smell", foul and musty. From the road, observing the water flowing from Ban Ve Hydropower Dam into Chong stream and flowing into Nam Non Hydropower Reservoir, the color gradually darkened, from clear blue to dark blue. Curiously asking the people living along the road, they heard that the "strange smell" had been around for about half a month. Because they were uncomfortable, they went up Chong stream to find the cause. Determining that the water flowing from Ban Ve Hydropower Dam had a foul smell, they wrote a report to the district and commune requesting a solution.

Garbage on Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir on December 4, 2020.

Working with the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district immediately afterwards, it was confirmed that people living on both sides of the Nam Non Hydropower Reservoir, in Luong Minh and Yen Na communes, had submitted a petition on December 31, 2019, reflecting the water in the reservoir showing signs of odor pollution. The People's Committee of Tuong Duong district inspected the scene, took water samples from many different locations to send to the authorities for testing. But according to the officers who went directly to the scene, it was determined that the people's reflection was correct.

Having been to the upper reaches of the Nam Non River many times, we know about the state of garbage in the area at the tail of the Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir. The garbage, mostly large trees, if not cleaned up promptly will decompose, possibly one of the causes of the “strange smell” in the water source of the reservoir.

Speaking of this suspicion, Mr. Nguyen Phung Hung - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Tuong Duong district also agreed: "The bad smell could be due to decomposing garbage. The district will inspect the upstream area to determine this content...". Then near the end of January 2020, the Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Tuong Duong district contacted again to report that he had coordinated with Ban Ve Hydropower Company to inspect the reservoir area. And the assessment of garbage remaining upstream was correct.

According to the description and images sent by Mr. Nguyen Phung Hung, the Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir has a lot of garbage floating on the surface, in some places covering the width of the reservoir, stretching for kilometers. The main components are tree trunks, bamboo, and household waste. The garbage is concentrated in two locations, including: At the tail of the lake, in Hoa Ly village, My Ly commune, Ky Son district (about 60 - 79 km from Ban Ve Hydropower Dam), and in the lake area from Huu Khuong commune to Mai Son commune, there is a lot of garbage, mainly tree trunks, bamboo, and bamboo clinging to the shore. Such a large amount of garbage has caused traffic congestion on waterways and rescue routes in the area. Garbage accumulated for a long time in the hydropower reservoir, decomposed, causing a foul smell in the villages along the hydropower reservoir, causing bad public opinion among the people...

From the report of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, the work of cleaning up Ban Ve reservoir and other reservoirs and hydroelectric dams was then directed by the Provincial People's Committee in Official Dispatch No. 854/UBND-CN dated February 20, 2020 with the request: "The owner of the dam and hydroelectric reservoir is responsible for presiding over and coordinating with local authorities to clean up and collect floating garbage in the entire reservoir area of ​​the plant; handle floating garbage and forest products after cleaning in accordance with the provisions of law. Strictly comply with the requirements in the EIA report, the Environmental Protection Project approved by competent authorities and relevant environmental protection laws".

However, cleaning up the Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir is not simple at all. Because after the difficulties in obtaining funding for garbage collection of up to several billion VND, then conducting bidding to select a construction unit, the dry weather also reached its peak. At that time, in June - July 2020, garbage from the reservoir had drifted up to both banks of the Nam Non River, stretching for several dozen kilometers, and could not be collected...

On December 2, 2020, we received information that Ban Ve Hydropower Company was organizing garbage collection upstream of Nam Non. Another trip up Highway 16 to the border commune of My Ly.

Here, you can fully feel the difficulties in the work of cleaning up the garbage in the Nam Non River. The garbage is all kinds of wood, different sizes, some trees are so big that 2-3 people can barely hug them. The garbage follows the rising water, intertwined into patches, stretching, covering the surface of the Nam Non River, from Hoa Ly village to Xop Tu village with a length of more than 1 km. In the Xop Tu village area, the cliffs on both sides of the river are steep, making it impossible to create a yard for cranes to collect and gather the garbage. Therefore, the way the construction unit (Nghe An Urban Environment and Construction Joint Stock Company) works is to use large barges to push the garbage down to the yards in the Hoa Ly village area, from there, using cranes to scoop up tons of wood waste to the shore. The atmosphere along the Nam Non River is very joyful.

Because along with the workers operating the cranes and barges working non-stop, there are the people of My Ly commune who go down to the lake to collect wood. They choose from the trees that the cranes bring to shore, the small, poor quality trees are cut into pieces and piled up for firewood; the large, straight trees with good wood are split into panels...

People in Hoa Ly and Xop Tu villages select and collect trash for firewood and household wood.

URGING RESPONSIBILITY OF HYDROPOWER OWNERS!

From the story of garbage on Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir, we have searched and read many environmental protection projects and environmental impact assessment reports of hydropower projects in the province. One thing in common is that all documents are very thick, informative, and have very specific commitments on implementing environmental protection solutions. However, the reality shows that many hydropower reservoirs in the province are also in a state of sedimentation and backlog, storing all kinds of garbage. Thereby, it is affirmed that the owners of hydropower plants have not strictly implemented the solutions that they themselves proposed in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report, Environmental Protection Project and legal regulations on environmental protection (in Official Dispatch No. 854/UBND-CN dated February 20, 2020 of the Provincial People's Committee reminded and requested).

A most specific example is recently, in November 2020, going upstream from Hua Na Hydropower Reservoir to Chu River, we saw a lot of trash, especially at the tail of the lake.

What is extremely dangerous is that the garbage in the Hua Na Hydropower Reservoir is basically rotten trees and small grass floating in the water; there are many areas where the garbage gathers and rolls into large clumps, stretching hundreds of meters. This type of garbage decomposes quickly, and if not collected, it will pollute the water source of the reservoir. Nghe An Newspaper has reported on this situation.

After that, the People's Committee of Que Phong district confirmed, and on December 8, 2020, issued Official Dispatch No. 1751/UBND-TN requesting Hua Na Hydropower Joint Stock Company and the owners of 7 hydropower reservoirs and dams in the area to be responsible for presiding over and coordinating with local authorities to clean up and collect floating garbage in the entire reservoir area of ​​the plant, and to treat floating garbage and forest products after cleaning in accordance with the provisions of law. The process of cleaning the reservoir bed is required to have the participation of professional staff and representatives of the People's Committee of the commune where the lake and dam are located, confirming that the collection of garbage in the reservoir bed has been completed.

In recent days, when discussing the work of protecting the environment of water sources in hydroelectric reservoirs, officials of the Provincial Union of Science and Technology Associations also said that they are having concerns. Because water sources in hydroelectric reservoirs often have the same pollution status due to plant decomposition. “For example, water in Chi Khe Hydroelectric Reservoir contains BOD and COD5 due to plant decomposition. It is worth mentioning that when the water in Chi Khe Hydroelectric Reservoir rises, according to the principle of communicating vessels, it will negatively affect the well water of some households…” - an official of the Provincial Union of Science and Technology Associations shared.

Regarding environmental protection, on December 11, 2020, the Government Office announced the President's Order on 7 Laws passed by the National Assembly, including the Law on Environmental Protection.

The new point of the Law on Environmental Protection was informed by Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan - Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment: "For the first time, the community is defined as a subject in environmental protection work; increasing information disclosure, consultation and promoting the role of supervision and criticism, at the same time, ensuring the rights and interests of the community when participating in environmental protection activities; changing the environmental management method for investment projects according to environmental criteria; strictly controlling projects with high risk of negative impacts on the environment, conducting post-inspection for projects with advanced and environmentally friendly technology...".

Thus, it can be understood that the Law on Environmental Protection will have new positive sanctions and regulations to promote environmental protection work better than before. Therefore, from the newly promulgated Law on Environmental Protection, from the story of cleaning up garbage on the Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir, from the current status of the reservoir, hydropower dams..., it is necessary to urge the owners of the reservoirs and hydropower dams in the area to demonstrate their responsibility in environmental protection work!

Garbage on the bed of Hua Na Hydroelectric Reservoir.