VietNamNet Bridge – The ships pouring black mud into the Nghe An Province coast were licenced and poured the waste to the right place, Le Thanh Ha, deputy director of Nghi Son economic zone’s management board said on Wednesday.  

A ship of Nghi Son Port’s dredging project pours black mud to the sea.

Early this month, local newspapers and social networks reported several unnamed ships continuously poured black waste to the sea area between Nghe An’s Hoang Mai Town and Thanh Hoa Province’s Tinh Gia District, causing black streaks of sea water in the area.

Residents complained directly to Hoang Mai Town People’s Committee. 

Lao Dong newspaper reported a change of the seawater colour in the area. It was black near the shore, became opaque 35-40m from the shore and was grey in distance.  

Nguyen Huu Tuy, chairman of Hoang Mai Town People’s Committee, said on Wednesday that inspectors confirmed the ships, which are part of Nghi Son Port’s dredging project, poured mud at the licenced area. “In principle they are right,” he said.

The process of discharging waste into the sea was closely monitored by Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces’ border-guard force.

Ho Sy Dung, director of Nghe An Province’s Environment Protection Department, said it co-ordinated with Hoang Mai Town authorities to take samples of the unnaturally coloured seawater for testing.

Hoang Mai Town People’s Committee has asked Nghi Son economic zone’s management board and People’s Committee of Tinh Gia District where the economic zone located to inspect the pouring mud to the sea and report detailed evaluation about impacts on the environment, ecosystem there.

Ha from Nghi Son economic zone explained that wind blew so strong that the flow quickly pushed the water streak to the south. “But it doesn’t matter. Mud will dissolve quickly,” Ha said.

VNS