While the northern-central coastal region has been described as now being safe for tourism activities since the Formosa environmental disaster, further research will be necessary before seafood from the area are safe, Tran Hong Ha, minister of Natural Resources and Environment said at a press meeting on Monday.

Minister Tran Hong Ha

 

The meeting announced the results of the investigations on the environmental situation in the four central coastal provinces which have been affected by the waste water discharge of the Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company.

"Although the reports have not met the expectations from the public, they have also shown us positive signs in the quality of the seawater," Ha told the meeting, which was attended by foreign and local scientists and leaders of affected provinces.

At the conference, Mai Trong Nhuan, who headed the study on the disaster carried out by the ministry, presented an extensive report on how the marine environment in the disaster zone has recovered from the toxic pollution.

The report said that marine life, including sea water and sea-bed sediment, was generally within Vietnamese safety standards for aquaculture farming, fishing, and tourism activities.

"The toxic chemicals the steel factory dumped into the sea, including cyanide, phenol and iron hydroxide, have shown signs of diluting," the report said. "The marine ecosystem, coral reefs, sea grass and other marine resources, which were seriously damaged in terms of scale and species, has started to make a recovery."

A representative from the Health Ministry said that levels of chemical residue found in seafood caught along the coastline of the four affected provinces have gradually fallen.

Harmful chemicals in the sea water seem to have dissipated, but some pollutants such as phenol remain at relatively high concentrations, said Trinh Van Tuyen, the director of the Institute of Environment Technology.

But it remains unclear whether the fish in the area are now safe to eat.  

Many fishing boats are still lying idle in the four central coastal provinces.

Friedhelm Schroeder, a German scientist hired to study the consequences of the toxic disaster, said at the conference that fishermen should not return to work yet. 

"The Ministry of Health needs to keep a close eye on the situation and give concrete advice about the safety of the fish there," he said.

Environment minister swims at Quang Tri beach

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Tran Hong Ha, representatives of agencies and leaders of the central Quang Tri Province yesterday went swimming at the province's Cua Viet Resort. 
The minister decided to go for a swim after attending the meeting to announce the results of the investigations into the environment in the four central coastal provinces following the Formosa disaster.
"Scientists have announced that sea in the four central coasts are now safe for swimming, why not go for a swim?" Ha said
Ha was joined by his deputy Vo Tuan Nhan, Quang Tri Province Party Secretary, Nguyen Van Hung, and some of the province's vice chairmen.
At the meeting yesterday, Ha said that although the reports have not met public expectations, they have also shown positive changes in terms of the quality of the seawater.
A report by the ministry based on analysis of 1,080 seawater samples in the area taken in May, 331 samples in June and 68 samples in August, showed that marine life, including sea water and seabed sediment, was generally within Vietnamese safety standards for aquaculture farming, fishing, and tourism activities.

Authorities shirk responsibilities over mass fish deaths

Officials in Ha Tinh Province are trying to avoid punishments after the mass fish deaths in coastal provinces with only one official receiving a reprimand.

Ha Tinh People's Committee has asked the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, environmental police and the management board of provincial economic zones along with the Department of Industry and Trade to review and submit the results about the incident by August 15.

However, only the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, which must take the most responsibility, carried out a review of their employees and only Dang Ba Luc, head of the Environmental Protection Agency was reprimanded.

Even though many people suggest that Vo Ta Dinh, the department's director, must be the first to be blamed, he said he would “learn from the experience”.

Pham Quang De, inspector at the provincial Department of Internal Affairs said, "I said that Dinh should be at least reprimanded. But he said his two vice directors hadn't taken responsibility so he must think about it first. This was a serious disaster and the leaders only promised to learn from experiences is just wrong and a reprimand is too light. We have demanded them to review their responsibilities again."

After receiving all reports about individual responsibilities, the Department of Internal Affairs will report to the provincial people's committee and decide on the punishments.

"Depending on positions and regulations, we'll see if the suggested punishments are good enough and may demand they rethink their punishments," De said.

On June 30, the Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Limited Company admitted responsibility for the mass fish deaths in four central coastal provinces. The government also asked local authorities to review individual responsibilities but the process has been slow.

Dtinews