Monosodium-glutamate maker Vedan should expedite investigations and compensate residents affected by its actions, said the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.
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During a working visit to the Taiwanese-invested firm in southern Dong Nai Province, Nguyen noted the improvements made by the company in wastewater treatment.
However, until it paid due compensation for the environmental pollution that it had caused for many years, its business and reputation would remain affected, he said.
The provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau as well as HCM City are the three main areas affected by the untreated, toxic waste discharged into the environment by Vedan Viet Nam for almost 16 years.
Nguyen said provincial and city authorities had worked closely with local residents to estimate losses incurred for compensation purposes, but only Ba Ria-Vung Tau had sent its initial report to the ministry.
“I want the process of verifying losses and discussions between the ministry and Vedan on the extent of pollution [that Vedan is responsible for] to speed up,” said Tran Ngoc Thoi, deputy chairman of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province People’s Committee.
“Vedan should declare for how long the affected residents have to wait for the compensation.
“I promise that all figures of losses and affected areas are done precisely to ensure the benefit of both residents and Vedan. The affected area, for instance, is only Tan Thanh District with four communes. Vung Tau City and Ba Ria Town, mentioned in the initial declaration, have not been included,” Thoi said.
Vedan General Director Yang Kun Hsiang said all wastewater produced by the company was strictly treated before discharge into the Thi Vai River. The water quality in 20 biological reservoirs had been improved, he added.
“We installed three automatic stations for monitoring and testing treated waste water before it runs into the river,” Hsiang said. “The biological reservoirs will receive further treatment and a total of more than 30ha [that contains the reservoirs] will become an eco-zone.
“Vedan has set up four new systems to produce fertiliser from the fermented waste released by the company,” he added.
After visiting the site of the wastewater treatment plant that was put into operation late last year and noticing the absence of malodour in the water, Nguyen said: “Vedan had successfully improved its waste treatment system.”
Nguyen told Vedan the ministry was going to investigate the company’s four cassava processing plants in the country for an overall assessment of its operations.
Hsiang said the plants in Binh Phuoc and Gia Lai provinces were generating biogas used to fuel their wastewater treatment systems.
Vedan’s cassava mills in Binh Thuan and Ha Tinh provinces were also equipped with similar systems, but they had not been put into operation yet, he added.
VietNamNet/VNS
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