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Dong Nai unable to suspend river polluter
Authorities in the southern province of Dong Nai have said they cannot suspend Taiwanese MSG-maker Vedan Vietnam for polluting the local river because it would be illegal for them to do so.
In a communication sent to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the province has quoted clause 4 of article 3 of the Decree on Administrative Penalties that rules an be administrative violation can only punished once.
The inspection board of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) had earlier issued a decision on October 6 ordering Vedan to pay a fine of VND127.5 billion (over US$7.7 million).
The decision does not mention suspension of the firm’s operations.
Responding to the MNRE requirement that Dong Nai issue a different decision to suspend operations of the Taiwanese-invested firm, Huynh Thi Nga, deputy chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee, told the ministry that the decision to suspend Vedan should have been included in MNRE’s decision.
In mid-September, Vedan Vietnam was found using an illegal drainage system that is estimated to have discharged around 105,600 cubic meters of untreated wastewater into the Thi Vai River every month for many years.
The firm has admitted breaking at least 12 environment protection codes over the past 14 years, according to the ministry.
Thanhnien
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