Bac Viet Environment Energy JSC has been fined VND190m (USD8,200) for violations in the field of environmental protection for burying rubbish wrongly in Hoa Binh Province.

Waste management company fined for environmental violations

Hoa Binh Province People’s Committee announced the news on December 14. The company was fined for its failure to complete one of the contents of the environmental impact assessment report and was fined VND70m (USD3,000). It was fined VND120m for the violation of Article 9, Resolution 155 about administrative fines related to environmental protection.

Hoa Binh People’s Committee has asked the company to follow the regulations and deal with the rubbish as defined by the environmental impact assessment report.

The residents in Cao Hai Village, Hoa Binh City resorted to blocking the road to prevent vehicles transporting waste to a local dumping site to protest about the serious pollution. The waste treatment plant is only 500 metres away from the residential areas in Hai Cao Commune.

71-year-old Vu Xuan Vien said, “Two-thirds of the rubbish is buried, the rest are burnt. When I cut grass on the hill, I saw that they buried the rubbish but they didn’t line the bottom of the pit with anything to prevent waste water leaking into the ground. We want the company to dig up all of the rubbish and treat them correctly.”

After digging at two locations, the inspectors of Hoa Binh Province People’s Committee concluded that the rubbish was not treated before it was buried. The first location had 750 tonnes of rubbish buried in 1,000 square metres of land and wasn’t lined with anything at the bottom. The amount of rubbish at the second location hasn’t been determined.