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Industrial parks fouling nation’s water sources
Some 70% of over a million cubic meters of wastewater produced by industrial parks daily is discharged directly into the environment without being treated. As many as 57% of industrial parks have no wastewater treatment systems. Even those that do, only half meets standards.

Some 70% of over a million cubic meters of wastewater produced by industrial parks daily is discharged directly into the environment without being treated. As many as 57% of industrial parks have no wastewater treatment systems. Even those that do, only half meets standards.

These alarming figures were revealed in the 2009 national environmental report released by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment earlier this month.

According to the report, the environment surrounding industrial parks was being seriously degraded. Businesses’ use of outdated technologies and lack of investment in exhaust gas treatment seriously polluted the air around industrial parks, especially older ones.

Solid waste from industrial parks was increasing sharply but its treatment remained poor, especially for hazardous waste, the report said.

By October last year, the country had 223 industrial parks established by the Prime Minister, 171 of which are operating on a total area of 57,264 ha with an average occupancy rate of around 46%.

Industrial parks have made major contributions to restructuring and developing the economy, generating jobs and raising incomes. In 2008 alone, industrial parks produced a total industrial value of over USD 33 billion, 38% of GDP, and exported over USD 16 billion, nearly 26% of the country’s export revenues. They paid around USD 2.6 billion in taxes and created nearly 1.2 million jobs.

Nevertheless, the development of industrial parks has also resulted in a sharp increase in waste and environmental pollutants in recent years, posing major challenges for the country’s sustainable development, the report stressed.

If not addressed properly, these problems would cause environmental disaster and climate change, adversely affect people’s life and health and destroy the country’s industrial achievements and socio-economic development, said Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen at a ceremony to release the report.

Pollution caused by industrial parks has seriously damaged the natural environment, the report said, citing damage to agriculture caused by the discharge of untreated wastewater into the environment. For instance, wastewater discharged from Hoa Khanh Industrial Park in the city of Da Nang completely destroyed 120 hectares of rice in Lien Chieu district and caused mass death of poultry and aquatic animals raised in neighboring areas.

The report also pointed to serious contamination of rivers both downstream and upstream. Observation of water quality in the basins of Dong Nai, Nhue-Day and Cau rivers showed that water in areas affected by industrial wastewater was seriously contaminated, with many pollution indicators much higher than limits.

The situation was a result of rampant violations of environmental regulations committed by enterprises operating in industrial parks. Inspection of 108 enterprises in Le Minh Xuan Industrial Park by the Ho Chi Minh City Industrial Park and Export-Processing Zone Management Board showed that most enterprises failed to make regular environmental reports, discharge wastewater properly or register owners of hazardous waste sources under regulations.

Trang Bang Industrial Park in Tay Ninh Province had not completed construction of its wastewater treatment system after nearly 10 years of operations. Wastewater from over 30 plants in the industrial park was discharged directly into Vam Co Dong River, which now had its water contaminated at a level 10 times prescribed limits. Other violators included Vedan Vietnam in Dong Nai Province, which had for years discharged wastewater directly into Thi Vai River without using a treatment system; Miwon Vietnam in Phu Tho Province, which was suspended from operations for discharging contaminated wastewater into the environment; and Kim Thanh Hung Co., Ltd in Xuyen A Industrial Park in Long An Province, which was banned from operations for discharging wastewater into the rainwater drainage system.

Other violations included failure to sort, keep and transport solid waste properly, extension of time for investment in environmental protection infrastructure and wastewater treatment, formalistic treatment of waste gas, and failure to observe wastewater quality under regulations.

Light punishment was a reason behind rampant violations by enterprises which readily paid fines to continue their violations. Kim Thanh Hung in Xuyen A Industrial Park, for instance, was fined only VND 28 million (over USD 1,400), and Miwon just VND 32 million, for their violations.

Another reason was ineffective inspection and control of the environment of industrial parks, the report pointed out, citing insufficient inspection by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and provincial-level Natural Resources and Environment Departments, and failure to clearly determine violations of enterprises and industrial parks and their severity.

The report attributed this to a quantitative and qualitative lack of environmental administrators and unclear assignment and coordination between industrial park management boards and relevant authorities in controlling environmental impacts of industrial park enterprises.

Under current regulations, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and provincial-level Natural Resources and Environment Departments are responsible for inspecting industrial parks and their enterprises and industrial park management boards are required to work with provincial-level Natural Resources and Environment Departments in environmental inspection.

However, there was no key body responsible for managing and settling environmental-related matters in industrial parks, causing evasion of responsibilities among involved parties, the report said.

Environmental protection was an important goal of the Party and State, set forth in a number of documents, including Government Decree No. 36/CP of 1997, promulgating the regulation on industrial parks, export-processing zones and hi-tech zones; Politburo Directive No. 36-CT/TW of 1998 and Resolution No. 41-NQ/TW of 2004 on enhancement of environmental protection in the period of industrialization and modernization; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Decision No. 62 of 2002, on environmental protection; the 2005 Environmental Protection Law; Prime Minister’s Decision No. 256 of 2005, promulgating the national strategy for environmental protection through 2010, with orientations to 2020; Decision No. 1107 of 2006, approving the master plan on development of industrial parks through 2015, with orientations to 2020; Government Decree No. 29 of 2008 on industrial parks, export-processing zones and economic zones; and Natural Resources and Environment Ministry Circular No. 08 of 2009, on management and environmental protection of economic zones, hi-tech zones and industrial parks.

Yet there was a lack of consistency between regulations on environmental protection applicable to industrial parks, most of which focused on improvement of the investment environment rather than providing a legal framework for environmental management of industrial parks, the report said.

To address these problems, the Ministry proposed the Government review and supplement policies and laws, including revising the Environmental Protection Law and its guiding documents, and decentralize the management of the environment of industrial parks and environmental inspection.

The Ministry proposed ministries, branches and localities complete the authorization of environmental management for industrial park management boards and improve their environmental management system in industrial parks, paying attention to the clear assignment of responsibilities for environmental management within industrial parks.

It requested industrial park management boards to set up environment divisions and facilitate their operation and asked industrial park enterprises to strictly comply with regulations on reporting and other environmental regulations.

According to World Bank estimates, Vietnam might lose 5.5% of its annual GDP to environmental pollution and some USD 780 million as cost of community health due to environmental pollution.(VLLF)-

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