Thu Do Company was the enterprise that explored the primary gold mine on Pu Phen mountain, located in the two communes of Yen Tinh and Yen Na, Tuong Duong district, in 2007-2008. From there, the two communes of Yen Tinh and Yen Na experienced a "gold theft" problem that lasted until 2019.
According to the leaders of Tuong Duong district, recently, Thu Do Company continued to request permission from the district to hold community meetings in villages to gather opinions to finalize the environmental impact assessment report on gold mining in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes. “Following the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, in recent years the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has repeatedly petitioned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to revoke the gold mining license granted to Thu Do Company, but has received no response. Meanwhile, the company has been instructed by the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to work with the province and Tuong Duong district. We find this strange…” – said the leaders of Tuong Duong district.
See Document No. 20/CV-TD of Thu Do Company, issued on December 19, 2022, regarding “Preparation of environmental impact assessment report and environmental remediation and restoration plan for the Investment Project to exploit underground gold ore in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province”, which contains the following content:
“To promptly finalize the contents related to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the Project, submit it to the competent authorities for approval in accordance with the law on environmental protection; fully implement commitments, fulfill related obligations and responsibilities, and bring the mine into operation as soon as possible as prescribed. Complete and report to the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam before December 31, 2022.”
After receiving official letter No. 3157/DCKS-KS dated October 19, 2022, from the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company, and also forwarding it to the People's Committee of Nghe An province and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An province.
In accordance with the requirements of the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam: The company is urgently and proactively coordinating with local authorities to receive guidance and support in completing the contents related to the environmental impact assessment report of the project, and submitting it to the competent authority for approval before December 31, 2022.
Upon reviewing the project implementation process, Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company has revised the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the project: “Underground gold mining project in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province”. The minutes of the community meeting in the project's operating area are still missing.
Therefore, Capital Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company respectfully requests that the People's Committee of Tuong Duong District guide and allow company officials to go to the People's Committees of Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes to request a community meeting to expedite the completion of the project as required by the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam.”
Regarding Official Letter No. 3157/DCKS-KS dated October 19, 2022, from the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam, it is a response to Official Letter No. 18/CV-TD dated October 3, 2022, from Thu Do Company, which requested opinions on implementing a project to exploit primary gold underground mines in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes.
Here, the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam reiterated that the Capital Company was granted License No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017, by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, allowing it to mine gold in the areas of Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes; the requirement in Clause 5, Article 2 of License No. 75/GP-BTNMT is to revise the environmental impact assessment report and the environmental remediation and restoration plan for the investment project to mine primary gold ore in the areas of Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes…; The General Department issued Official Letter No. 2953/DCKS-KS dated October 26, 2021, urging and guiding Thu Do Company to carry out the necessary tasks to bring the mine into operation, and requesting a commitment to the completion timeframe… However, Thu Do Company's report in Official Letter No. 18/CV-TD cited objective reasons, especially the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, which affected the progress of completing issues related to the environmental impact assessment report for the mining area. Therefore, it is still in the completion phase; and has not yet provided a roadmap and a commitment to the completion timeframe as requested by the General Department.
Therefore, in Official Letter No. 3157/DCKS-KS, the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam requested:“The company must urgently and proactively coordinate with relevant local authorities to receive guidance and support in completing the environmental impact assessment report for the project, and submit it to the competent authority for approval in accordance with the law on environmental protection; fully fulfill all commitments, complete all related obligations and responsibilities, and promptly bring the mine into operation as prescribed. The report must be completed and submitted to the General Department before December 31, 2022. After December 31, 2022, if the company still has not fully implemented the required contents, the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam will inspect and report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for handling according to regulations.”
Regarding the investment project for the exploitation of primary gold ore in the Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes by Thu Do Company, the Nghe An Newspaper reported on this issue in several articles in December 2021. These articles highlighted the negative consequences of gold mining that the people and authorities of Yen Tinh commune and Tuong Duong district have suffered for many years; they also conveyed the viewpoint of the Party Committee and authorities of Yen Tinh commune and Tuong Duong district, requesting the competent authority to revoke License No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017, issued to Thu Do Company, prohibiting gold mining on Pu Phen mountain. Furthermore, they reported that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, acting on the instructions of the Provincial People's Committee, had issued three official letters requesting the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to report and advise the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on revoking License No. 75/GP-BTNMT.
Through verification, Nghe An Newspaper also reported on signs of deception by Thu Do Company in preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the Underground Gold Mine Project in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district in 2013, which was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 2001/QD-UBND dated May 22, 2013 (article “Gold mining project on Pu Phen mountain – Irregularities in environmental impact assessment.”).
On January 8, 2023, we contacted the People's Committee of Tuong Duong District again to inquire about their stance on handling the request from Thu Do Company to allow community consultation in the villages of Yen Tinh and Yen Na communes. The response received from the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee, Nguyen Huu Hien, was: “The People's Committee of the district has already issued a written response. The district maintains its position of requesting the revocation of the mining license as stated in Official Letter No. 1372/UBND-NL dated December 20, 2021, regarding the request to revoke mining license No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017. The district does not agree to the consultation on environmental impact assessment and environmental remediation/restoration plan for the underground gold mine project in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes as requested by Thu Do Company in Official Letter No. 25/CV-DT.”
Regarding the Party Secretary of Yen Tinh commune, Mr. Quang Van Dang, he stated: “The Party Committee, the government, and the people of Yen Tinh commune do not agree with Thu Do Company's request for community consultation in the villages. For these reasons, the people have already established stable production on Pu Phen mountain and developed economic models such as the conservation and development of Gynostemma pentaphyllum; gold mining would only perpetuate many negative consequences such as social ills and environmental pollution for the locality and neighboring communes. For these reasons, the Party Committee, the government, and the people do not agree to gold mining on Pu Phen mountain.”
