Stone pits located near the Buông River in Dong Nai Province could cause the river's banks to collapse, a report from the province's Department of Mineral Resources and Environment has said.
Stone pits located near the Buông River in Dong Nai Province could cause the river’s banks to collapse, a report from the province’s Department of Mineral Resources and Environment has said.
The department has asked provincial authorities to conduct a feasibility study on the environmental impact of the Phuoc Tan stone pits located near the Buong River.
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| A stone pit near the Buông River in Phuoc Tan Commune in Dong Nai Province. — VNS File Photo |
Figures from the department show that agencies have licensed 10 stone pits covering 400ha along a section of the 53-km Buông River in the province.
Some of these stone pits, such as Tan Cang, Tan Cang 2 and Ap Mieu, are located only 50 metres from the riverbank.
Licensed between 1998 and 2010, the stone pits were permitted to operate for 30 to 50 years.
Excavators had previously conducted feasibility studies on the impact of individual stone pits, but no study was done on the impact on Dong Nai Province in general.
“To protect Buong River, the Department of Mineral Resources and Environment has asked local authorities to conduct a study on the impact of the exploitation of these stone pits on the environment of the region, which will help them take necessary measures,” a spokesman from the department said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Dong Nai People’s Committee was quoted by Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper as saying that agencies had not recognised the impact of the stone pits on the Buong River when licensing the stone pits.
“If there are signs of risks facing Buong River caused by stone pit exploitation, the stone pits must be closed immediately,” said Nguyen Ngoc Hung, deputy director of the Department of Mineral Resources and Environment of Dong Nai Province.
(Source:VNS)
