Company fined US$44,000 for breaking environmental laws

The central province of Nghe An has published the decision made by inspectors of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE).

The inspectors had conducted a check at the Nghe Tinh Metal Color JSC to see if it was following environmental protection and mineral mining laws after the incident.

On March 9, the dam holding tin waste owned by the Chau Thanh commune-based Suoi Bac Tin Processing Factory, a subsidiary of the Nghe Tinh Metal Color JSC, broke, and a large volume of mud and sewage from the dam flowed down into Nam Huong stream.

Soon after, local fish breeders from neighbouring Chau Quang commune reported mass fish deaths in the stream.

Responding to the complaints, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Dac Vinh directed local authorities to quickly investigate, collect samples, analyse pollution levels, and assess the level of violations.

The MoNRE, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Nghe An province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and Department of Environmental Police inspected the dam collapse site to collect water, mud and waste samples. Test results showed contamination.

Investigations revealed that though the Nghe Tinh Metal Color JSC had been doing mineral mining in Suoi Bac area for nearly four years, it had not received certification for adopting environmental protection measures as per the requirements of the Nghe An province People’s Committee.