VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has set up a special taskforce to supervise the implementation of commitments to deal with consequences of the environmental disaster in the four coastal central provinces of Vietnam, caused by Ha Tinh Formosa Steel in April, over a period ofthree years.

Formosa Ha Tinh

On Sunday, July 24, the working group had the first meeting with Formosa Ha Tinh at Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh province.

This working group will work at Formosa Ha Tinh for three years, starting from July 2016. The group will monitor environmental issues and waste control of the Taiwanese firm.

As reported by the authorities, more than 700 tons of black mud waste are still within the campus of Formosa Ha Tinh.

The mud originated from the filter tanks at the industrial waste treatment zone of this company.

Concerning the handling of waste mud, Ha Tinh provincial leaders said the authorities had taken samples of the mud for testing to determine whether it is hazardous or normal waste and decide on the treatment option.

Formosa Ha Tinh’s toxic discharges led to mass fish deaths in the four central province of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue in Apirl this year. Formosa admitted its responsibility for the massive pollution and pledged $500 million in compensation following a three-month investigation.

Recently waste from the company was also found to have buried a huge amount of toxic waste at a farm run by Mr. Le Quang Hoa, director of Urban Environment Company in Ky Anh town.

Under the agreement signed with Hung Hiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Limited Company, the Ky Anh Urban Environment Company was tasked with taking Formosa’s waste to the province’s licensed waste treatment areas, however, it instead dumped the waste at Hoa’s farm.

Formosa's waste was also discovered being prepared for transport to a landfill of the Phu Ha Company in the northern province of Phu Tho.

Many local residents complained the firm’s sewage had recently shown yellow discharges that seemed to kill weeds and bushes. Phu Ha Company security staff prevented anyone from visiting the company, including leaders of Tram Than Commune People’s Committee and reporters.

Linh Nhat