The People's Committee of central Thua Thien Hue Province fined a local tapioca starch production plant VND260 million ($12,000) for polluting the surrounding environment. The plant, which is located at the province's Phong An Commune, Phong Dien District, and owned by HCM City-based Fococev Foodstuff and Investment Company, has discharged untreated waste water for nearly five years, according to officials. The committee ordered the plant management to have greater control over the waste water and repair damage caused by pollution to a nearby stream within three months. The pollution has also affected cultivation and aquaculture in the commune. The committee's decision, however, failed to address compensation by the plant's owners to local farmers. (Vietnam News Dec 12)
