Illegal sand mining to build embankments: Cua Lo Town proposes the Provincial People's Committee to impose a fine of up to 200 million VND
(Baonghean.vn) - Due to lack of authority to handle administrative violations, after completing the dossier, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town sent a document requesting the Provincial People's Committee to sanction the act of illegally exploiting sea sand to build embankments with a fine of up to 200 million VND.
The case of illegal sand exploitation by Tan Hung Limited Company to build embankments (part of the Cua Lo beach embankment project invested by the Department of Tourism) was reported by the People's Committee of Cua Lo town to the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Official Dispatch No. 607/UBND-TN dated April 17, 2024.
According to the official dispatch: "The Cua Lo beach embankment project, invested by the Department of Tourism and constructed by the contractor, is being implemented from crossroad No. 14 to crossroad No. 18, Cua Lo Beach Golf area, Nghi Huong ward, Cua Lo town.
At 8:30 a.m. on April 15, 2024, at the beach area in front of the Golf course gate, in My Thang block, Nghi Huong ward, Cua Lo town, the construction unit of the Sea embankment project, Tan Hung Limited Liability Company (address: Yen Giang block, Vinh Tan ward, Vinh city), had the act of dredging sand on the beach to build a positive slope on the western embankment adjacent to the park on the east side of Binh Minh street, affecting the beach.
Immediately after discovering the incident, the Town People's Committee directed the following departments: Urban Management; Natural Resources and Environment; Urban Order Management Team; Town Police, Nghi Huong Ward People's Committee to conduct an inspection, draw up a record requesting to stop construction and a record of handling administrative violations and requesting the Coastal Embankment Project Management Board under the Nghe An Department of Tourism to direct the contractor to repair, level and restore the beach surface. Basically, the construction unit has immediately implemented the repair and restoration work.
Through checking the design documents and construction drawings of the sea dike project, including the item of filling soil to ensure the foot of the sea dike's positive slope (sand pumping to hold the foot of the positive slope), it does not clearly state sand pumping on the beach.
At the time of inspection, 2 sand mining locations were discovered: Location 1 has an area of 232.2m2; depth 1.5m; total: 348.3m3. Location 2 has an area of 202.9m2; depth 1m; total: 202.9m3. The total volume of sea sand sucked is 551.2m3.
Therefore, the construction unit violated the act of exploiting sand and gravel in rivers, streams, lakes, and estuaries; sand and gravel in coastal inland waters without a mineral exploitation license from a competent state agency, as prescribed in Point e, Clause 1, Article 48, Decree 04/2022/ND-CP dated January 6, 2022 of the Government amending Article 48, Decree 36/2020/ND-CP".
According to the People's Committee of Cua Lo town, pursuant to Point e, Clause 1, Article 48, Decree No. 04/ND-CP dated January 6, 2022 amending Article 48/2020/ND-CP dated February 24, 2020, when the total volume of minerals exploited at the time of detecting the violation is from 50m3or more, the fine is from 150 million to 200 million VND; according to Clause 3, Article 64, Decree No. 36/2020/ND-CP, the authority to impose administrative sanctions belongs to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province. Therefore, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town requests the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to consider and decide.
Also in Document No. 607/UBND-TN dated April 17, 2024, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town requested the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to assign the Coastal Embankment Project Management Board under the Nghe An Department of Tourism to direct the construction unit to implement the following contents:
Place signs, markers, and stretch ropes around the subsidence area to ensure safety for beachgoers.
For areas where sand has been sucked and subsided, causing unsafe conditions, continue to add sand and soil to restore the ground, compact to ensure no subsidence, ensuring safety for tourists swimming in the sea (corresponding to the volume of sand sucked).
At the same time, the Coastal Embankment Project Management Board under the Department of Tourism is required to arrange staff to regularly inspect and closely supervise the construction process of contractors.
The case of Tan Hung Limited Company illegally exploiting sea sand to build embankments of the Cua Lo beach embankment project invested by the Department of Tourism was reported by Nghe An Electronic Newspaper on April 16, 2024, in the article "Cua Lo Town discovered a case of illegal sand mining.”.
