Hard to “Save” Ben Dinh Canal
Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 07:25 GMT+7
The water in Ben Dinh Canal (Vung Tau City) is being seriously polluted because many enterprises and production facilities discharge wastewater directly into the canal. Photo: Quang Đạt
Under regulations, before going into operation, production and business establishments, depending on their scale, must prepare environmental impact assessment reports and environmental protection undertakings. However, most facilities along Ben Dinh Canal do not have these procedures but still operate.
Along Ben Dinh Canal there are currently 14 operating production facilities discharging into the canal; of these, 13 facilities have production scales under the environmental management responsibility of Vung Tau City People’s Committee (according to the decentralisation under the 2005 Law on Environmental Protection). Among the 14 facilities in operation, only 4 units have completed environmental procedures and only the Seafood Processing Enterprise 01 under Con Dao Aquatic Products and Import-Export Joint Stock Company has invested in and operates a central wastewater treatment system that meets standards. The remaining facilities share the same problems: not preparing environmental impact assessment reports, not registering as hazardous waste generators and being unable to invest in waste treatment systems.
Ben Dinh Canal is becoming a “dead canal” because of the indifference of residents and enterprises towards environmental protection.
According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, there are 9 seafood processing facilities here with capacities below 100 tonnes per year that do not implement environmental protection measures; two fishing ports, Incomap and Ben Da, under Fisheries Logistics Services Joint Stock Company, discharge untreated wastewater directly into the canal; the Ship Mechanical Enterprise (under Fisheries Logistics Services Joint Stock Company) has been operating for a long time but has not yet built a wastewater treatment system as required. In particular, there is also a municipal solid waste transfer station of Vung Tau Urban Environment and Public Works Services Joint Stock Company that still allows leachate from waste to flow into the canal.
Regarding hazardous waste management, among the 14 production facilities only 4 enterprises have registered as hazardous waste generators; the rest have not registered and manage hazardous waste improperly (stored outdoors, mixed with domestic waste, etc.).
In addition to waste and wastewater from vessels, markets and surrounding households, there are also 4 major drainage culverts from Vung Tau discharging directly into the canal. To improve the environment of this canal, Mr. Lê Văn Sâm, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, believes that, in addition to limiting pollution sources discharged into the canal, the Provincial People’s Committee should assign Vung Tau City People’s Committee to strengthen inspection and handling of environmental violations. For facilities that are not willing to invest in pollution control, the City People’s Committee should propose that the Provincial People’s Committee temporarily suspend their operations. This is one of the solutions to protect this important canal for the province’s inland waterway transport, preventing it from becoming a “reservoir” of wastewater.
QUANG NGUYỄN
