TUYÊN QUANG – Phúc Sơn Manganese, Mineral and Mechanics JSC, which was found to be polluting the environment while exploiting manganese for years in northern Tuyên Quang Province, has not reinforced the embankments and dredge sludge as directed.

In July, thousands of cubic metres of mud waste - a product of manganese mining and exploitation - had reportedly polluted the environment and threatened the lives of locals in the province’s Chiêm Hóa District.

The mud waste came from Phúc Sơn Manganese, Mineral and Mechanics JSC. The company had been exploiting manganese mines for 13 years in the district.

Upstream reservoirs for post manganese production were filled with mud and containment dams for mud waste were poorly built, causing it to overflow onto the fields of residents when there were heavy downpours.

Wastewater flowing from the mine down to the hamlet had also annoyed residents.

One month later, the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment conducted an inspection of the company and found it to be flouting environmental regulations.

Phúc Sơn Company’s mining licence, issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, expired three years ago. The company’s licence to discharge wastewater, issued by the provincial People’s Committee, expired at the end of 2015.

 The company was forced to stop operation and ordered to reinforce the embankments of the mud waste reservoir and dredge sludge to avoid the mud from overflowing onto the fields of residents before August 20.

However, nothing has been done to improve the situation till today.

Vũ Quang Vinh, resident of Phúc Sơn Commune’s Nà Pết Hamlet, said his field was covered by mud whenever it rained hard.

Phạm Thị Thanh, another resident, said the company told residents they had installed metal sheets around the reservoir and they would fix the problem soon, but nothing had changed.

Phạm Văn Lương, deputy director of the department, said it had asked a representative of the company to resolve the situation, but even that appears to have been delayed. – VNS