Vinh Phuc paying attention to environment in industrial zones

Sewage treatment plants promoting efficiency

Sociological survey shows that industrial wastewater is now susceptible for enterprises to abuse and negligently treat after production. Therefore, Vinh Phuc government determines that wastewater treatment shall be regularly inspected and examined without prior notification. To avoid any inconvenience to enterprises or any environmental incidents, out of 8 operating industrial zones (IZs) are 6 IZs which constructed and put into operation of wastewater treatment systems with a total designed capacity of 19,900m3 per day, including: one with capacity of 4,100m3 per day in Binh Xuyen Industrial Zone; one with 2 module capacity of 5,800m3 per day in Khai Quang Industrial Zone; one with capacity of 3,000m3 per day in Ba Thien II Industrial Zone;  one with capacity of 1,500m3 per day in Kim Hoa Industrial Zone, etc. Ba Thien Industrial Zone has invested in centralized sewage treatment plant but not finished infrastructure items such as power supply system, water supply system and input, output connection points. It is expected that the completed plant will treat  the wastewater volum of 5,000m3 within a day.

According to Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Deputy Head of Vinh Phuc Industrial Zone Management Board, for IZ environment protection, Vinh Phuc government always monitors and requires investors to submit environmental impact assessment before their projects come into operation. The Industrial Zone Management Board also oversees the common solid waste, hazardous waste collection and treatment by enterprises, inspects and supervises centralized wastewater collection and treatment system and qualified emission treatment system as well as requests IZ infrastructure developers to frequently operate such systems, controls environmental pollution, and builds a database of environment troubleshooting in IZs.

“Based upon the environmental protection assessment of competent authorities, most enterprises in the industrial zones of Vinh Phuc have abided by environment protection management regulations. However, few enterprises have not strictly complied environmental protection regulations. In this circumstance, Vinh Phuc constructed a number of observation stations in order to meet the data and information needs in environmental protection. Khai Quang Industrial Zone built an automatical observation station with the capacity of wastewater flow of 5,000m3 which analyzes some basic indicators of sewage after treatment and before discharging into receiving water sources.

These data are collected, stored and sent to a control room at the Resource Observation and Environmental Protection Center – Department of Natural Resources and Environment” – Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Deputy Head of Vinh Phuc Industrial Zone Management Board, said.

Strictly handling violations

With regard to handling violations, Mr. Nguyen Van Khuoc, Director of Vinh Phuc Department of Natural Resources and Environment affirmed that the Industrial Zone Management Board was assigned the function to inpect the compliance of enterprises inside industrial zones with environmental protection regulations. If any signs of violation are detected, the Board shall coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to investigate, handle and even suspend the business of the enterprises which abandon pollution occurrence. In 2015, six violations on environment and water resource protection have already been sanctioned by a fine of VND 155 million. Typical case is of the violation of Vietnam Duong Hai Co. Ltd in Binh Xuyen Industrial Zone, producing automotive, motorcycle spare parts, electronic components when improperly operating environmental remediation process as in its environmental protection commitment certified by the competent authorities. It was sanctioned for administrative violations in environmental protection with a fine of VND 30 million.

“In addtion to handling environmental violations, Vinh Phuc government had boosted the propaganda to raise community awareness on environmental protection. By environmental events annually held in various forms, thousands of people had actively participated. Furthermore, Vinh Phuc government directed Vinh Phuc Environmental Protection Fund to receive and manage the environment improvement and recovery deposit of 40 companies with a total amount of VND 6 billion, to appraise and lend 20 enterprises a total amount of VND 50 billion for environmental protection projects.” –  said by Director Nguyen Van Khuoc.