VietNamNet Bridge - Many businesses would rather pay fines for illegally discharging waste water directly into the Hau River than install required waste water treatment systems.

The development of Lee & Man’s paper project has become a burning issue as it is feared to cause serious pollution to the Hau River. However, experts have warned that the river has been poisoned by many other plants on the riverbank as well. 

Businesses, big and small, foreign and Vietnamese, have been discharging untreated waste water directly into the river to avoid spending money on waste water treatment systems.

The Huy Viet – Tay Do Production & Trade Company has been found discharging untreated waste water to the environment for years. 

Huy Viet, an industrial chemical producer, headquartered in Can Tho City, was first found violating the environment laws in 2011 when the surface water sample taken from the company exceeded the permitted level by 16,000 times. For this, the company was imposed a fine of VND370 million.

In 2013, the company discharged 3,500 cubic meters of untreated waste water to the Hau River. In 2016, it was forced to pay a fine of VND800 million.

Nguyen Van Hong, director of the Can Tho City Planning and Investment Department, said in principle, before the licensing, local departments of natural resources and the environment have to examine the investors’ reports on possible environmental impacts and their waste water treatment systems. 

Meanwhile, deputy director of the Can Tho City Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Nguyen Minh The, said it was the responsibility of the environment police to examine and supervise enterprises.

Many businesses would rather pay fines for illegally discharging waste water directly into the Hau River than install required waste water treatment systems.

“All enterprises have waste water treatment systems, but they don’t run the systems,” The said.

“Only the environment police have necessary conditions and capability to discover the tricks played by enterprises,” he explained.

An Do Duong Company Ltd has also been found violating the laws repeatedly. In 2008, it was given a fine of VND45 million. And in June 2015, it had to pay a fine of VND312 million.

Meanwhile, Ecotech Can Tho, a company that treats non-hazardous waste, was fined VND904 million and Hong Linh Company Ltd VND1.3 billion.

Experts said that businesses would rather pay fines than observe the current laws on environmental protection as the fines were too low. 

Le Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Climate Change Research Institute, an arm of the Can Tho University, noted that small businesses don’t have money and land to install costly waste water treatment systems, and would rather pay the fines.

Dat Viet