Recently, environmental protection in Dong Nai province’s industrial zones (IZs) has seen positive signs. The province has built many waste water treatment plants; increased investment in environment monitoring stations, and promoted cleaner industrial production (CPI) in IZs. This success demonstrates the determination of the local government to build Dong Nai into a sustainably developed province, boosting industrialisation and modernization, as well as environmental protection.
Almost all IZs have waste water treatment plants
At the moment, Dong Nai province has a total of 30 licensed IZs with an area of 9,500 hectares, set to increase to 34 IZs and 11,380 hectares by 2015. In its modernization – industrialization scheme, Dong Nai has always attached much importance to environmental protection, especially in IZs, and considered it a primary objective of sustainable development. Since compliance with Direction 36-CT/TW dated June 25th 1998 by Political Bureau at the 8th session, environmental protection activities in Dong Nai have seen significant progress. Especially since Vedan Vietnam polluted the Thi Vai River, responsible agencies in Dong Nai have conducted overall review and examination of waste water treatment activities at each plant and in IZs in general. The province has made a “black list” of pollutants and set deadlines for plants and IZs to handle them.
Thus, for the past time, local compliance to environmental protection regulations has improved. So far, 20 out of 22 IZs in Dong Nai province have completed building waste water treatment plants with total capacity of 81,000m3 per day. Only two IZs, Ong Keo and Thanh Phu, haven’t finished the construction due to obstacles in land clearance and compensation for the area.
Observing the Direction by the provincial People’s Committee regulating collection and treatment of solid wastes and toxic wastes in provincial IZs, so far 15 of the 22 IZs are putting in transiting stations for solid waste, 4 of which are completed.
Fostering connection
At the moment, the total volume of waste water created by 22 working IZs is about 71,000m3 per day, in which the IZs with waste water treatment plants account for 64,000m3 per day. The waste water connection rate of projects in IZs to waste water treatment plants has considerably increased recently. There are 9 IZs with 100 percent connection from production factories to waste water treatment system, including: Amata, Loteco, Tam Phuoc, Long Thanh, Nhon Trach phase 1 and 2, Nhon Trach 2 – Loc Khang, Agtex Long Binh, Nhon Trach 5, and Nhon Trach textile and garment IZs. In addition, Go Dau IZ increased its rate of waste water connection to treatment systems by 25 percent, now standing at 65 percent. Bien Hoa 1 IZ, which had an alarming pollution issue, also raised the rate of waste water connection to treatment systems by 15 percent, to 88 percent.
To increase effectiveness, Provincial People’s Committee assigned IZs’ Management Units, in association with IZ Infrastructure Company, to review enterprises which haven’t been connected to IZ waste water treatment system, requesting them to quickly implement the connection and report to the Provincial People’s Committee before December 31st 2011.
Investing VND 6,340 billion into environmental protection
Since 2006, Dong Nai functional agencies have investigated, uncovered and settled over 200 violations of environmental protection regulations in IZs. Based on recommendations by provincial IZs’ Management Units in first period of 2011 and waste water treatment monitoring results of enterprises in IZs, which received waste proposal license from the provincial People’s Committee, IZ Infrastructure Companies have been requested by the provincial People’s Committee to invest in and upgrade waste water treatment systems in IZs, ensuring that all waste water pollution parameters meet national technical regulations before release into the environment. They will also regularly investigate enterprises in IZs which the provincial People’s Committee issued license to drain waste water into water sources; report to government environment protection management agencies cases which are licensed but do not have waste water treated under environmental regulations and those not connected to IZ waste water treatment systems so that punishment can be given.
IZ waste water treatment systems under pilot operation will monitor post-treatment parameters to ensure stable operation and acceptance by the deadline, so they can be put into official operation as soon as possible.
The Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee has introduced its Environmental Protection Plan for 2011 – 2015 to turn Dong Nai into a sustainably developed province, boost industrialization – modernization and environmental protection, concentrate on preventing increased pollution, handling recession, and restoring and upgrading environmental quality. To implement this programme, the province has approved over VND 6,340 billion for activities such as investment into environmental protection work and addressing environmental incidents, especially in industrial parks, zones and in urban and rural areas.
Huy Hoang
Vietnamese
