Company suspended after serious environmental infractions

The People’s Committee of Hai Duong Province has just decided to suspend the business activities of the Tung Kuang Company because it released untreated liquid waste into the Ghe River.

The committee held a meeting with the Inspection Department under the Vietnam Environment Administration, Department of Natural Resources & Environment and Department of Planning & Investment, provincial police, as well as representatives of the Tung Kuang Company.

According to a report by the Bureau of Environmental Protection under Hai Duong’s Department of Natural Resources & Environment, the company seriously violated environmental regulations, ignored requirements from the relevant authorities and repeated their environmental infringements in a increasingly reckless manner.

Nguyen Huu Loc, Vice Manager of Hai Duong’s Department of Natural Resources & Environment said that Tung Kuang’s violations have gone on since 2005 and they were fined VND109.5 million ($5,678). Notably, they did not obey regulations on controlling waste; released 250 cubic metres of liquid waste per day into the environment; their Biochemical Oxygen Demand within 5 days (BOD5) were 2.2 times higher than acceptable, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was 2.4 times above acceptable levels, phenol exceeded acceptable levels by 2 times and they released liquid waste into a water source which was not licensed.

During three consecutive years (from 2007 to 2009), after inspections from the provincial authority, Tung Kuang was ranked as one of worst companies in regards to seriously polluting environment, and doing so for a long time.

Despite the circumstances of this company's continued environmental violations, on July 22, 2008, without strict checking and supervision, the committee issued the company a license No. 2692/GP-UBND, which allowed them to release waste into a water source.

In October 2009, the Environmental Police Department under Hai Duong’s Police punished them VND7,500,000 ($389).

However, all of their reckless actions and intentional infringement hadn't been uncovered completely until the Environmental Police Bureau carried out an investigation.

The committee also revoked their decisions on environmental impact assessment and license issuance of liquid waste discharge in order to review. Only after the company resolves their environmental consequences will the committee consider these decisions.

The committee also requested relevant authorities to complete their documents early with an aim of issuing a specific punishment for Tung Kuang Company.

Tung Kuang Company has been asked to remove an illegal liquid waste treatment system and develop another system in line with legal regulations to ensure environmental standards. Their finalised documents and solutions must be completed before April ends.

At the meeting with the committee, Shu Chih Cheng, Vice Director of Tung Kuang Company, officially apologised to local people in Hai Duong province for what their Hai Duong branch had done wrong.