VietNamNet Bridge – Both lawyers and environmental experts say that Sonadezi must be seriously punished because it is a State-owned company specializing in treating waste but it discharged untreated waste water to the environment. Over 60 petitions have been lodged against this firm.

In recent days, Sonadezi has become a familiar name to people in Tam An commune, Long Thanh district in the southern province of Dong Nai. Some people compare it to Taiwanese polluter Vedan but it is different because Sonadezi is a State-owned firm and a waste treatment firm.

Environmental police on August 4 caught Sonadezi Service JS Company discharging poorly-treated wastewater into a canal that flows into the Dong Nai River.

The firm, situated in Long Thanh Industrial Park is in charge of handling wastewater from 42 enterprises in the park. The company’s law-breaking act was uncovered by a team from the Ministry of Public Security’s Anti-Environmental Crime Prevention and Control Department.

On the night of August 3, the plant released about 9,300 cubic meters of black wastewater with stinking odor into the canal which is the main water supply for about 500 hectares of farmland in the district’s Tam An commune. The police found a sewerage system buried underground serving to unload the wastes from the plant into the river.

The plant treats wastewater released from 80 percent of the textile and dying companies in the Industrial Park and during the treatment process, and it has not met some criteria, like color and temperature of the treated waste.

“State-owned companies must take the lead in protecting environment but Sonadezi is a violator. It has no respect for the law and must be fined heavily,” says lawyer Nguyen Van Hau, who defended farmers in the Vedan case.

Hau adds that Sonadezi could be seen as the second Vedan to take example for others. Moreover, its director must hold responsible for the case.

Dr. Le Huy Ba, rector of the Institute for Water and Environment under the HCM City Industry University, says that Sonadezi’s discharging waste water to the Dong Nai River is terrible because it is a State-owned and a wastewater treatment company.

“In comparison with the Vedan case, Sonadezi is even worse,” Dr. Ba adds.

Engineer Dinh Dang Dinh, General director of the Union for Sci-tech and Regional Development Cooperation (Sitech), Sonadezi might discharge waste water to the environment to save cost and increase profit because it does not have to invest hugely in new technology.

“Investment in a modern waste water system is much cheaper than paying fines. That’s why many companies directly discharge waste to the environment,” Dinh says.

Sonadezi is also facing many complaints from local residents.

Chairman of Tam An commune, where Sonadezi is located, says that by August 10, 60 families lodged their complaints against the polluter, including statistics of their losses caused by Sonadezi.

Nguyen Van Liem, a farmer, says that with eight fish ponds and a duck herd, he lost around VND12 million ($600) from Sonadezi’s polluting acts. Since 2005, when Sonadezi began polluting the Dong Nai River, the losses total nearly $4,000.

Other families make similar statistics and they ask Sonadezi to make compensation.

PV