Vietnam Environment Pollution Becomes Worse despite Gov’t Plan

Environment pollution is slipping out of control as the number of polluting producers has been springing up like mushrooms in recent years in spite of the government’s efforts, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said in its latest report. The MoNRE made the statement at an online meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai April 2, saying that some 3,800 new polluters have been named in the past eight years, while the plan to get rid of 440 polluters initially set out has yet to be completed. In 2003, the government issued a decision to root out 439 polluting enterprises across the country, but only 338 facilities have forced to tackle their pollution-causing manufacturing activity, the ministry said. Deputy PM Hai urged all polluters to be addressed obligatorily from now up to 2020, and take drastic measures against environment pollution. The MoNRE added that the number of enterprises causing serious pollution nationwide has amounted up to 3,856, posting a sharp increase of the initial blacklist of 439 firms. Bui Cach Tuyen, MoNRE's Deputy Minister, attributed that it will submit to the government a national strategic program to deal with pollution by end-2011, including a plan to force newly-listed enterprises to address pollution within another eight years, from early 2012 to 2020. Many manufacturers have been very reluctant to solve pollution issue or apply new production technologies for a cleaner environment, while many provincial authorities also failed to impose stricter fines on the polluters, Tuyen added. In facts, up to 70% of total over 200 industrial parks in Vietnam have not yet built wastewater and solid waste treatment systems while 279 craft villages discharged untreated wastewater into the environment, posing high risk to the environment and human health, experts noted. Under the current regulations, environmental violators will incur a maximum fine of VND500 million ($25,600) or even face criminal proceedings depending on the level of their infringement. (english.thesaigontimes.vn April 4)