Trai River, in Nghe An Province, has become seriously polluted by the discharge of untreated wastewater from a nearby mining and metallurgy company.
Water used to wash ore flows into small reservoir
Viet Duc-Nghe An Mining and Metallurgy Limited Company, headquartered in Thanh My Commune, Nghe An Province, has been widely blamed for the pollution.
Even though the company has been licensed since March 2008, they only started official operation in the last three months. Lacking land for processing ore, they leased land in Thanh Huong Commune, which is adjacent to the river.
When questioned about the environmental impacts, Do Minh Hieu, Director of Viet Duc, claimed that the Trai River was just muddy because the reservoir overflowed after heavy rains. He added that the amount of wastewater was small in comparison and would cause no harm. He added that the company is in the process of completing a wastewater treatment system.
However, the only "system" the company has installed so far is a pipeline that diverts water from the river to the two reservoirs, which they use to wash the ore. The actual treatment system is not yet under construction. Both reservoirs are thick with industrial byproducts, and locals say that even the land surrounding the plant is covered with an oily muck.
Nguyen Canh Hoan, a resident who lives near the Trai River said, “Ever since the company started operating you can see that the river looks muddy. Our crops and cattle used to drink from this river. In the summertime we would even swim there, but now the river is dying."
The contrast between the murky colour of the waters downstream of the discharge point and the clear waters are quite telling.
Another fact that causes concern for families in the vicinity is that neither of the plant's reservoirs have barriers. They are 5 to 8 metres deep, and their toxic contents pose a health risk for neighboring children and livestock. The transportation of raw materials also causes air pollution along the road.
The problems these communities face are not unique in Vietnam, and many see them as signaling the need to balance environmental concerns with economic development.
Hundreds of tonnes of ore upstream
Reservoir with no barriers or warning signs
Untreated wastewater flows into Trai River
The "dying river"
