Strictly handle violations at Len Chua quarry

(Baonghean) - Although the authorities have directed the stone mining enterprises at Len Chua mine (Quynh Xuan ward, Hoang Mai town) to level and restore the environment, bringing the areas that have been mined beyond the mining depth to a safe state. However, all instructions have been "ignored" by the enterprises...

The rugged Len Chua

Through Nghe An Newspaper's hotline, residents of blocks 6 and 9, Quynh Xuan ward (Hoang Mai town) reported that the exploitation, processing and transportation of stone by businesses in the Len Chua quarry area seriously affected the environment, causing damage to houses...

Coming to this locality on the afternoon of August 28, 2017, it is easy to see that along the roads surrounding the Len Chua quarry, the environmental pollution situation as reflected by the people is clearly seen. Most of the roads here are only paved with graded stone, occasionally watered by water trucks, but with the number of trucks of all sizes going in and out to transport stone continuously, dust is swirling. Not only that, the activities of mining, crushing and screening stone around the Len Chua quarry also spread stone dust into the houses and gardens of households.

Despite the ban, stone mining is still taking place at Len Chua quarry, at a depth of tens of meters below zero. Photo: PB

When asked, many people in grade 9 expressed their frustration, because they have had to endure this pollution for decades. And although people have petitioned and complained to all levels of government; many press agencies have reported, many inspection teams have come... but it has still not been resolved completely.

Locals also said that the blasting by businesses to mine rocks has seriously affected people's homes. "We thought that when they took all the rocks from the surface of the cliff, they would stop. Who would have thought that they would dig deep into the ground and blast to get the rocks" - a local said. Due to indiscriminate mining, a large area of ​​Len Chua is full of deep holes, and some deep lakes, hundreds of square meters in size, have appeared.

It is known that at Len Chua quarry, there were 3 enterprises licensed by the Provincial People's Committee to exploit minerals, including: Thanh Xuan Company Limited, Xuan Hung Company Limited, Xuan Chung Company Limited. After many years of exploitation, the licenses of these companies have expired.

The People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town has issued many documents directing Quynh Xuan Ward to suspend illegal mineral activities of Thanh Xuan Company Limited and Xuan Hung Company Limited, and at the same time request these companies to carry out leveling, environmental restoration, and set up danger signs for the exploited areas below ground level 0.

However, these companies continue to exploit and transport stone for consumption; and have even built concrete mixing stations and constructions right in the mine area.

Many houses in block 6, Quynh Xuan ward (Hoang Mai town) were damaged due to rock mining explosions. Photo: NL

According to the people, the quarry blasting, which takes place around 3-5am, will cause tremors and cracks in people's houses. Witnessing many houses, the damage is clearly visible because on the pillars and walls of the houses, there are many vertical and horizontal cracks with large gaps extending up to several meters...

Need to be handled seriously

According to the representative of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hoang Mai town, since February 2017, Xuan Hung Company Limited and Thanh Xuan Company Limited have been administratively sanctioned by the Provincial People's Committee for the act of "Mineral exploitation beyond the scope of up to 10% of the total area or total height of the licensed mineral exploitation area". The amount of money each company was fined by the Provincial People's Committee is up to 120 million VND.

In addition, the Provincial People's Committee also revoked the right to use mineral exploitation licenses for 2 months; forced to pay money to the state budget within 10 days from the date of receiving the penalty decision; if not, they will be forced to pay; must level and restore the environment, and implement solutions to bring the exploited areas beyond the exploitation depth to a safe state. However, these companies did not comply!

On April 12, 2017, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town continued to issue an official dispatch requesting the two companies to comply with the penalty decision of the Provincial People's Committee; at the same time, requesting to stop all mineral exploitation activities, relocate machinery and equipment in the mine area that had been exploited beyond the depth. But these companies still did not comply; in addition to illegal exploitation, they even organized the construction of concrete mixing stations and factories.

Faced with this situation, on August 17, 2017, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town issued an official dispatch to handle the illegal construction of houses, concrete mixing stations, and mineral exploitation in the Len Chua area.

The concrete mixing station of Xuan Chung Company Limited was illegally built. Photo: PB

On August 18, 2017, the interdisciplinary delegation of Natural Resources and Environment, Industry and Trade, and Construction coordinated with Hoang Mai Town and Quynh Xuan Ward to conduct a field inspection at the Len Chua quarry area. Thereby, it was determined that the transportation and processing of construction stone from the quarry area to National Highway 1A caused dust, affecting the environment and people's lives.

Xuan Chung Company Limited is building a level 4 house, surrounding walls, and foundation pillars for a concrete mixing station without permission from the competent authority. Thanh Xuan Company Limited and Xuan Hung Company Limited have not seriously carried out the land reclamation and environmental restoration at the mining pits with a depth below ground level 0 according to the decision on administrative sanctions by the Provincial People's Committee.Xuan Hung Company Limited and Xuan Chung Company Limited built a concrete mixing station in Len Chua area in violation of the law on land, construction and related regulations...

Pursuant to the provisions of law, specifically Decision No. 47/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee on promulgating the coordination regulations in state management of mineral resource protection in Nghe An province, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town and the People's Committee of Quynh Xuan Ward must strictly handle violations by stone mining companies at Len Chua mine.

Only then can we demonstrate our responsibility, maintain strict discipline and the law, and people will not have to suffer the consequences caused by mineral exploitation enterprises!

Nhat Lan - Pham Bang