VietNamNet Bridge - The decision by HCM City authorities to move 1,402 polluting facilities out of the city by 2005 has not progressed well.

Dao Anh Kiet, director of the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, reported at the latest city’s people’s council meeting that 698 polluting units still exist, and six enterprises that cause serious environment pollution have not been removed.

The six enterprises include Viet Huong Hai Fish Sauce Company, Sai Gon Textile Company Ltd, Petrolimex Shipbuilding & Trade Company Ltd, Binh Trieu Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Sai Gon Shipbuilding and Maritime Industry Company Ltd and Thang Long Paper and Packaging Company Ltd.

Of these, Thang Long is the only privately run business, while the other five are all state-owned enterprises.

Kiet noted that the enterprises have deliberately delayed the relocation, which gives other production workshops one more reason to hold out in residential quarters and continue causing pollution.

Kiet said that the enterprises ‘have nowhere to go’ because they are big pollutants. 

The Viet Huong Fish Sauce Company, for example, once planned to remove its factory to Can Gio District. However, it could not implement the plan because it is not welcomed by the local authorities.

Besides the six big pollutants, the Ha Tien 1 Cement Plant at the Rach Chiec bridge pier in Thu Duc District is also causing serious pollution, according to Cao Thanh Binh from the HCM City People’s Council.

In fact, the Prime Minister, aware of the problems caused by the plant to the locality, instructed the investor to relocate the plant in 2003. 

However, the investor has not taken any action over the last 12 years.

The clinker grinding workshop in Phu Huu ward is one of its production workshops causing the serious pollution, It faces the strong opposition from local people.

Ha Tien 1’s investor plans to relocate its production base to district 9 while it will also increase the capacity of the plant.

However, it is not a good solution, because the plant continues will cause pollution in the the new destination.

“Why don’t we think of relocating Ha Tien 1 to Le Minh Xuan 3 Industrial Zone?” Binh said.

According to the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the relocation of 698 production workshops and bigger companies that cause pollution will be implemented from now to 2017.

From now to early 2016, Kiet said, 24 polluting workshops in Dong Hung Thuan ward of district 12 would be relocated to Le Minh Xuan 3, Hiep Phuoc, Dong Nam and An ha Industrial Zones.

Dan Viet