Polluting firms in Dong Nai fail to clean up their act

A series of environmental inspections last month checked on 150 local businesses that were placed on the department's black list in recent years after being found to be continually discharging untreated waste.

The department has said that the most recent check showed that 57 of these enterprises have managed to build standard waste treatment systems. They include the Dielac Milk Factory, Phuong Nam Corrugated Iron, Bien Hoa Steel and the Dong Nai Battery Enterprise.

However, more than 90 have still failed to properly invest in waste treatment systems, despite their deadlines for doing so passing long ago.

Chang Yih Ceramic Joint Stock Company and V.T.C Ceramic Joint Stock Company are among the businesses to have failed to resolve the waste treatment issue, despite receiving two extensions to the deadline from city authorities.

The deputy director of the department, Vo Van Chanh, said that most of the companies wanted to solve the problem soon to avoid being publicly criticised, which could negatively affect their trademarks.

He suggested that as many factories were built ten years ago with basic machinery, it will take trillions of dong and a great deal of time to replace equipment and invest in waste treatment systems.

"The department has given them deadline extensions to solve the problems and upgrade their filter systems. If violations do not end soon, they will have their business operations suspended," Chanh said.

Figures from the department show that 21 of the 23 industrial zones in the province are currently equipped with sufficient treatment systems. The rest, including Thanh Phu Industrial Zone in Vinh Cuu District and Ong Keo Industrial Zone in Nhon Trach District, are under construction and should be completed in the third quarter of this year.

Ten zones have installed waste water monitoring devices, and 16 have introduced waste observation equipment.

(Source:VNNet)