VietNamNet Bridge – The Ba Tai Mountain in Kien Giang province, which has been highly appreciated for its biodiversity, the area where mineral exploitation is prohibited for conservation, is now in the danger of becoming the materials for making lime.

In late 2011, the Kien Giang provincial people’s committee granted an investment license to the Hanoi-based Huong Hai Company Ltd to set up a factory to make building materials. Under the license, Huong Hai is allowed to exploit three limestone mines in the mountains of Nho, Lo Voi Lon and Tuc Khoi in Kien Luong district.

In late 2012, Huong Hai Company asked for the permission to exploit limestone in Ba Tai Mountain as well, reasoning that the high capacity factory needs more materials to run.

When asked about the exploitation limestone in the Ba Tai Mountain, Nguyen Xuan Loc, Director of the Kien Giang provincial department for natural resources and the environment said the mountain is located in the area where mineral exploitation is prohibited.

However, Loc said the factory of Huong Hai Company is located near the Ba Tai mountain foot; therefore, it would be very difficult to preserve the Ba Tai mountain.

Loc also said that the project of Huong Hai Company, when running at full capacity, would be able to contribute VND100 billion a year to the locality’s budget.

“Conservation is a necessary thing, but money for the state budget is also very useful. Therefore, I think it’d be better to allow Huong Hai to exploit limestone here,” Loc said.

Le Khac Ghi, Director of the provincial planning and investment department, said the department licensed Huong Hai to exploit limestone at the three mines for 50 years. However, Huong Hai believes that the three mines would only provide enough materials for its factory’s operation for seven years only.

“If they (Huong Hai company) are not allowed to exploit limestone in Ba Tai mountain, where will they have to find materials to run the factory?” Ghi questioned.

Luong Thanh Hai, Director of the Kien Giang Science and Technology Department, has agreed to allow Huong Hai to exploit materials in a part of the Ba Tai Mountain, while the other part of the mountain that faces the sea would be conserved.

Only the provincial agriculture department does not agree to allocate the Ba Tai Mountain to Huong Hai.

“If we give the mountain to Huong Hai, the economic benefits we can receive would not be big. And if the mountain is not put into exploitation, we would not get poorer,” said Tran Thi Hang, Deputy Director of the agriculture department.

The Ba Tai Mountain has not been listed in the government-approved program for mineral exploration and exploitation for materials to make cement or building materials until 2020.

The investment license granted by the Kien Giang provincial authorities said that Huong Hai’s company would have the capacity of 200,000 tons a year in the first phase of development, while the capacity may reach one million tons a year when it runs at full capacity.

The Southern Ecology institute has sent a document to the provincial authorities, asking for a special attention so as to soon form up a natural reserve of the Kien Luong limestone area to protect the biodiversity here.

IUCN has sent a letter to Kien Giang provincial authorities, expressing its concern about the issue, while calling on the local authorities to protect the Ba Tai Mountain forever.

Thien Nhien