VietNamNet Bridge - VTEC (Vinh Tan Energy JSC) is seeking permission to sink 1 million cubic meters of sludge in the Binh Thuan sea.


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Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Vo Tuan Nhan in late April sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Binh Thuan provincial People’s Committee and the Hon Cau Marine Protected Area (MPA) Board of Management on the sinking of dredged sludge.

The document says VTEC, the investor of the Vinh Tan 3 Thermopower Plant, plans to dredge the area in front of the harbour to pave the way for vessels with tonnage of 100,000 DWT to dock at the port. It is expected that dredging in the area of 5.4 hectares would produce nearly 1 million cubic meters of sludge.

The investor wants to plunge the sludge in Vinh Tan waters, covering an area of 300 hectares. It is six kilometers from the Hon Cau MPA boundary, six kilometers from the Breda Shoal and nine kilometers west of the Hon Cau MPA’s buffer zone.

The investor has predicted the possible impact on the environment to be caused by the submerging, and has proposed the method and technology to be used. 

The investor wants to plunge the sludge in Vinh Tan waters, covering an area of 300 hectares. It is six kilometers from the Hon Cau MPA boundary, six kilometers from the Breda Shoal and nine kilometers west of the Hon Cau MPA’s buffer zone.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) asked agencies to clarify the reasons behind the disagreement and suggest alternative positions for submerging.

In reply, the Binh Thuan People’s Committee on June 1 sent a dispatch to MONRE, emphasizing that it is necessary to thoroughly consider submerging in the waters, because of Hon Cau MPA.

The provincial authorities think it is necessary to hire specialists and consultancy firms to assess possible impacts to be caused by submerging.

In principle, Binh Thuan prioritizes solutions of using dredged sludge for leveling sites at construction works. This, together with other solutions, need to be considered for the best results.

The provincial authorities said that they have assigned agriculture and planning departments to prepare documents for the proposal of building embankments to create a sludge dumping ground at the Vinh Tan Electricity Center.

The embankments would be set up in the coastal area of Vinh Hung and Vinh Tien hamlets of Vinh Tan commune in Tuy Phong district, north of the Vinh Tan General Port and south of the Vinh Tan Electricity Center. 

Binh Thuan People’s Committee has sent a dispatch to the Prime Minister on this issue.


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Mai Thanh