VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City’s deputy Truong Trong Nghia said that the establishment of an interim committee of the National Assembly is necessary to monitor Taiwanese-invested Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Co. Ltd, after it caused the recent environmental disaster to four coastal provinces in central Vietnam.

Formosa Ha Tinh's wastewater killed fish along the coast of four provinces in central Vietnam.

"Formosa is not only a matter of today, but also the matter of the subsequent 70 years (this project’s lifespan is 70 years). This firm has made many violations, disregarded for the law and rights of the people of Vietnam," deputy Nghia told a local newspaper.

Former Deputy Chairman of the NA Committee of Youth, Teenage and Children Le Nhu Tien even suggested that the NA should establish a special committee to monitor Formosa.

This is not the first time NA deputies proposed the establishment of a provisional committee to monitor hot issues of public concern. Back in 2010, deputy Nguyen Minh Thuyet of Lang Son province asked the NA to set up a provisional committee to investigate the Vietnam Shipping Industry Corporation (Vinashin), to define the responsibility of cabinet members in this scandal but the proposal was not approved.

Environmental damage caused by Formosa to be carefully assessed

From now to the year end the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will focus on evaluating the damage to the sea environment and ecosystem in four central provinces from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue, caused by Formosa, and propose solutions to solve pollution and restore the maritime environment.

The VEA will complete a comprehensive inspection report on Formosa whose untreated waste discharge caused the mass fish deaths along the coasts of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

It will file a draft resolution on measures to handle Formosa’s violations with specific penalties as well as plans to monitor the enforcement of the punishments. The document will also be contributed by the Ministries of Public Security and Justice and relevant agencies.

A project will be conducted to assess the level and scale of pollution as well as the extent of degradation of the ecosystem and organism resources in the affected waters. A marine environment monitoring system will also be installed to ensure the protection of the maritime environment in some central coasts.

Meanwhile, the administration will recommend the formation of a national plan to cope with environmental incidents, together with a national committee to deal with urgent cases.

At the same time, major waste discharge sources to rivers and sea will be closely supervised.

Earlier, Formosa Ha Tinh admitted responsibility for the environmental incident in the four provinces and pledged to compensate VND11.5 trillion ($500 million).

Linh Nhat