Vietnam Needs VND15T to Relocate Oldest Industrial Park on Serious Pollution

Authorities in Vietnam’s southern province of Dong Nai will need an estimated VND15 trillion ($707.54 million) to move the Bien Hoa Industrial Park (IP) No.1, the oldest of its kind in the country, for severely polluting the environment. The information was released at a meeting on July 8 between a working team from the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment and provincial leaders. Under the project, businesses in the Bien Hoa IP will be moved to the Giang Chau IP in Trang Bom district, about 20 km away and an urban trade and service center will be built in its space. The move aims to protect the living environment for about 20 million people in Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau who are using water from Dong Nai River, which is being seriously contaminated by treated waste and wastewater from the park. The Environment Protection General Department has warned of severe water pollution by saying that the water in the park area cannot be used for daily life activities, but only for irrigation or aquatic animal conservation. The 50-year-old park, which is home to 97 companies, discharges more than 5,300 tons of industrial waste per month, of which 64 tons are hazardous waste. The park also releases more than 9,000cu.m of wastewater every day, mostly untreated sewage. Most participants in the meeting agreed that the large project requires support from the government and other agencies, and needs to have a suitable policy for implementation as the relocation will affect a lot of workers. “Untreated wastewater or improperly treated one from the Bien Hoa IP No 1 is one of the major sources causing pollution to Dong Nai River, a major water supply for 16 million residents in HCM City and the two provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong, said Tran Van Tu, head of a group of National Assembly deputies from Dong Nai. (Tuoi Tre – Youth July 9, Nhan Dan – The People July 9)