Local authorities in Vietnam are taking heed of environmental issues in the country after numerous disasters in recent years.
Last month, a power company based in Tuy Phong commune of Binh Thuan province came under fire after news spread that it was seeking permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to discard industrial “matter” – a combination of mud and sand – straight into the nearby Vinh Tan Sea.
According to Phap Luat, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha has issued a document regarding the issue stating that both the ministry and the Binh Thuan People’s Committee agree that the waste will not to be dumped into the sea.
Specifically, the official document suggests that the Vinh Tan 1 power company move the mud and sand into the Vinh Tan General Port instead of the sea.
The news source elaborates that this area of the port currently functions as a dock for ships. The port’s managing company has also agreed to allow part of the facility to be used as a dumping ground for industrial byproducts.
The company previously proposed a dumping location that is just eight kilometers from the Hon Cau Marine Protected Area on the south central coast. According to environmental experts, if the mud and sand were discarded in the area, the seabed would be covered, killing most of the aquatic animals living there, while depriving seaweed and coral of sunlight.
[Photo via pecc2]
