Environment
Over 130ha post bauxite-mining land to be returned for building resettlement areas
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| A stone pit near the Buông River in Phước Tân Commune in Đồng Nai Province. — VNS File Photo |
Viet Nam News
ĐỒNG NAI — Stone pits located near the Buông River in the southern province of Đồng Nai 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 Phước Tân stone pits located near the Buông River.
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 Tân Cang, Tân Cang 2 and Ấp Miễu, 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 Đồng Nai Province in general.
“To protect Buông 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 Đồng Nai People’s Committee was quoted by Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper as saying that agencies had not recognised the impact of the stone pits on the Buông River when licensing the stone pits.
“If there are signs of risks facing Buông River caused by stone pit exploitation, the stone pits must be closed immediately,” said Nguyễn Ngọc Hưng, deputy director of the Department of Mineral Resources and Environment of Đồng Nai Province. — VNS
