Thu Do Company is the enterprise that explored the original gold mine on Pu Phen mountain, located in Yen Tinh and Yen Na communes, Tuong Duong district in 2007-2008. From here, the two communes of Yen Tinh and Yen Na had a "gold bandit" problem that lasted until 2019.
According to the leader of Tuong Duong district, recently Thu Do Company continued to request the district to allow a meeting with the village community to get opinions to complete 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 requested 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 all have not received a response. Meanwhile, the enterprise was instructed by the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to work with the province and Tuong Duong district. We are surprised by this…” – said the leader of Tuong Duong district.
See Document No. 20/CV-TD of Thu Do Company, issued on December 19, 2022, on "Preparing an environmental impact assessment report and environmental restoration plan for the Investment Project on mining of original gold ore mines in Yen Na commune and Yen Tinh commune, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province", with the following content:
“To promptly complete the contents related to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the Project, submit it to competent authorities for approval in accordance with the provisions of the law on environmental protection; fully implement commitments, fulfill related obligations and responsibilities, and promptly put the mine into operation in accordance with regulations. Complete and report to the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam before December 31, 2022.
After receiving Official Dispatch No. 3157/ĐCKS-KS dated October 19, 2022 from the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam sent to Thu Do General Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company and sent to Nghe An Provincial People's Committee and Nghe An Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
At the request of the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam: The Company urgently and proactively coordinates with local agencies to receive guidance and support in completing the contents related to the project's environmental impact assessment report, and submit it to competent authorities for approval before December 31, 2022.
After reviewing the project implementation process, Thu Do Construction and General Trading Joint Stock Company has re-established the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report of the project: "Underground mining project of the original gold mine in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province". There is still a lack of minutes of community meetings in the project's operating area.
Therefore, Thu Do General Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company respectfully requests that the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district guide and allow the company's staff to go to the People's Committees of Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes to request a community meeting to soon complete the project according to the requirements of the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam.
Regarding Official Dispatch No. 3157/ĐCKS-KS dated October 19, 2022 of the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam, in response to Official Dispatch No. 18/CV-TD dated October 3, 2022 of Thu Do Company when this enterprise asked for opinions on implementing the project of exploiting the original gold mine in Yen Na commune and Yen Tinh commune.
Here, the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam reiterated that Thu Do Company was granted License No. 75/GP-BTNMT on January 19, 2017 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to exploit gold in the area of Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes; the requirement in Section 5, Article 2 of License No. 75/GP-BTNMT is to re-establish the environmental impact assessment report and the environmental improvement and restoration plan of the original gold mine mining investment project in the area of Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes...; The General Department issued Official Dispatch No. 2953/ĐCKS-KS dated October 26, 2021 urging and guiding Thu Do Company to carry out the work to put the mine into operation, requesting a commitment to the completion time... However, the report of Thu Do Company in Official Dispatch No. 18/CV-TĐ stated objective reasons, especially the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, affecting the progress of completing issues related to the environmental impact assessment report in the exploitation of the mine area, so it is still in the finalization stage; the roadmap and completion time commitment as required by the General Department have not yet been provided.
Therefore, in Official Dispatch No. 3157/ĐCKS-KS, the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam requests:“The Company shall promptly and proactively coordinate with relevant local agencies to receive guidance, support, and complete the contents related to the project's environmental impact assessment report, submit it to competent authorities for approval in accordance with the provisions of the law on environmental protection; fully implement commitments, fulfill related obligations and responsibilities, and soon put the mine into operation in accordance with regulations. Complete and report to the General Department before December 31, 2022. After December 31, 2022, if the Company 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 in accordance with regulations.”
Regarding the Investment Project for the exploitation of original gold mines in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes of Thu Do Company, Nghe An Newspaper reported in many articles in December 2021. In those articles, it conveyed the consequences of gold mining that the people and authorities of Yen Tinh commune and Tuong Duong district had to bear for many years; conveyed the viewpoint of the Party Committee and authorities of Yen Tinh commune and Tuong Duong district, which is to request the competent authority to revoke License No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017 issued to Thu Do Company, not allowing gold mining on Pu Phen mountain. At the same time, it informed that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment implemented the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, and sent an official dispatch 3 times requesting the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to report and advise the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to revoke License No. 75/GP-BTNMT.
Through verification, Nghe An Newspaper also reflected the signs of fraud by Thu Do Company in preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the Project of Underground Gold Mining in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes, Tuong Duong district in 2013, 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 – Obscurity in environmental impact assessment”).
On January 8, 2023, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district contacted again to ask about the viewpoint on handling the request of Thu Do Company to allow consultation with the village communities of Yen Tinh and Yen Na communes. The answer received from Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee Nguyen Huu Hien was: "The District People's Committee has responded in writing. The district maintains its viewpoint on the request to revoke the mineral exploitation license in Official Dispatch No. 1372/UBND-NL dated December 20, 2021 on the request to revoke the mineral exploitation license No. 75/GP-BTNMT dated January 19, 2017. The district does not agree to the consultation on the environmental impact assessment and environmental rehabilitation plan of the original gold mine underground mining project in Yen Na and Yen Tinh communes as requested by Thu Do Company in Official Dispatch No. 25/CV-DT".
As for the Secretary of the Yen Tinh Commune Party Committee, Mr. Quang Van Dang, he said: “The Party Committee, the government and the people of Yen Tinh Commune do not agree with the Thu Do Company asking for opinions from the village community. For the reasons that on Pu Phen Mountain, people have been producing stably and have built 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, the government and the people do not agree to gold mining on Pu Phen Mountain”.
