According to local residents, three days after Dong Nam waste treatment plant’s closure, rubbish accumulated along major roads, spilling onto carriageways and undermining urban hygiene. With the Lunar New Year or Tet approaching, household waste is increasing sharply. They hope the authorities will step in soon.
According to the Sam Son Department of Economic Infrastructure and Urban Affairs, they were working with Sam Son Environmental and Urban Services Company to seek temporary solutions with the Dong Nam waste treatment plant in neighbouring Dong Quang Ward.
They said rubbish collection had stalled because the Dong Nam facility was operating beyond capacity and could not accept additional waste from Sam Son.
Thanh Hoa Province ordered the Dong Nam waste treatment plant closed from January 31 following years of overcapacity and persistent environmental pollution. The 2.7-hectare site, which began operations in 1997, processed about 25 tonnes of rubbish a day, mainly through landfilling or natural decomposition.
During peak tourist seasons, waste volumes surged, severely affecting nearby communities. Large mounds of rubbish formed at the site, with pungent odours detectable more than 500 metres away.
Leachate ponds around the landfill contained blackened wastewater, with signs of leakage into the surrounding environment, residents said.