VietNamNet Bridge – By October 10, 134 households in Dong Nai province had claimed 15 billion dong for damages from Sonadezi Long Thanh, because the state owned enterprise discharged untreated waste water to the Dong Nai River, causing serious damages to the households.

State-owned firm faces a lot of complaints for polluting environment

Prior to that, the Police Department for environmental crime prevention under the Ministry of Public Security (C49) released a decision on imposing the fine of 405 million dong on Sonadezi Long Thanh, and requested the enterprise to stop discharging untreated waste water into the environment.

People cannot wait any longer

Nguyen Van Trai from one of the households that suffered most from the untreated discharged waste water from Sonadezi, who lives in hamlet 2 of Tam An commune, said that the ducks raised by the local households suffered scabies, got blind and then died, or their feather got sticky and died gradually.

About 30 duck farming households and 20 fishing households in Ba Cheo canal area have to give up farming because of the black waste water from the factory.

“Sonadezi was caught red handed by C49. It is clear that the factory discharged untreated waste water which caused the death of the creatures here. C49 has imposed a fine of 400 million dong on the company, why does not it force the company to compensate us?” Trai said.

Other farmers in the same commune, the owners of tens of hectares of mango, mangosteen orchards, rice fields and fish ponds, have also said that their farming has suffered heavily because of Sonadezi’s waste.

“It is the untreated waste water from Sonadezi factory that caused the severe damages. We do not want any longer for compensation. They have been discharging dirty waste for the last four years already,” said Duong Van Em, a farmer.

Huynh Ngoc Trai, Chair of the Farmers’ Association of Tam An Commune, said on Dan Viet that to date, 134 local households have sent petition, claiming 15 billion dong for the damages caused by Sonadezi Long Thanh.

On October 8, right after hearing the decision by C49 to impose a fine of 405 million dong, Sonadezi Long Thanh’s representative met local press agencies to “provide more information about the case.”

However, the explanation by Sonadezi Long Thanh did not satisfy journalists, who could not find the answer about if Sonadezi will pay compensation for the loss incurred by farmers.

Pham Anh Tuan, Deputy General Director of Sonadezi Long Thanh, emphasized that when farmers say their fish ponds died of the discharge waste, they need to show evidences to prove their words.

According to Tuan, there are many sources that discharge waste to the Ba Cheo canal; therefore, if relevant agencies only consider the waste from Sonadezi, this will not give accurate figures about the influences. Tuan has called on relevant agencies to carry out surveys to find out the actual pollution level in the region. He has affirmed that after agencies make final conclusion, Sonadezi will obey the conclusion and it will not avoid its responsibility.

Le Viet Hung, Director of the Dong Nai provincial Department for Natural Resources and the Environment, also said on Saigon Tiep Thi that it is necessary to make thorough survey before making final conclusion.

Hung said that the Tan Phuoc industrial complex could also be a source of waste water discharge to the Ba Cheo canal. “However, I believe that the main source of waste water to the Ba Cheo canal is the waste from the Long Thanh industrial zone,” Hung said.

According to Lawyer Nguyen Van Truong from the Truong law office, as C49 has made the conclusion about the violation of Sonadezi Long Thanh, people have all necessary evidences to claim Sonadezi for damages. However, Truong said that people cannot declare their losses themselves. Independent agencies need to come forward and define the farmers’ losses.

C. V