Rare earth mining area of Thái Dương Group Joint Stock Company in Yên Phú Commune. — Photo laodong.vn

YÊN BÁI — The Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes (C03) under the Ministry of Public Security has sealed off the Thái Dương Group Joint Stock Company for investigation into signs of law violations.

Talking with media on Tuesday evening, major Nguyễn Quang Sáng, head of the Police in Yên Phú Commune, Văn Yên District, Yên Bái Province, confirmed that the Ministry of Public Security's forces have been working at the company's rare earth mine located in Yên Phú Commune.

The Thái Dương Joint Stock Company is headquartered on Kim Mã Street in Hà Nội’s Ba Đình District.

The company was granted a licence for rare earth mining in Yên Phú mine by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in June 2013.

The licensed area covers 6.24 hectares, with a mining depth of 35 metres, and the mining duration is set at eight years and one month from the date of the permit. The estimated reserve for mining is over 1,8 million tonnes of soil ore.

Lao Động (Labour) newspaper reported that at the end of 2019, local residents repeatedly raised concerns about the strong chemical odours from the mine that was affecting the community.

Authorities from Văn Yên District later visited the area and asked the Thái Dương Group Joint Stock Company to review its mining process to ensure it doesn't adversely impact the environment and the daily lives of the local people and neighbouring areas.  — VNS