Italisa Vietnam relapses into environmental violation

According to newswire Dantri, the Bac Giang People’s Committee has issued a fine of VND620 million ($27,257) on Italisa Vietnam for discharging untreated wastewater into the environment, causing serious environmental pollution.

According to the inspection records, the company’s wastewater samples showed pollution levels exceeding the permitted level by 3-6 times.

Furthermore, the company did not sort hazardous waste according to regulations. It simply put them into bags and piled them into the warehouse or outdoors. 

The province ordered the company to stop discharging wastewater into the environment, and simultaneously took appropriate measures to mitigate the environmental damage caused. In addition, the province ordered the company to improve its existing wastewater treatment system.

It is not the first time that the company commits environmental violations. In early 2013, the Police Department for Environmental Crime Prevention and Control (C49) also detected similar conduct. 

In January 2015, C49 issued a fine of VND310 million (US$13,628) on the company after finding that the company’s wastewater samples exceeded pollution levels by 5-10 times the permitted level.

In the latest move, in March 2016, a fine of VND650 million ($28,576) was imposed on the company due to relapsing into environmental violations.

Disconcertingly, while authorities consecutively detected the company’s violations, Bac Giang’s Centre of Environmental Monitoring showed results confirming that analysis indicators were at the permitted level.

Established in 2008 under the initial name of Powerway Alloy Material Vietnam Co., Ltd., the company was renamed Italisa Vietnam Co., Ltd. in 2010. The company specialises in manufacturing sanitary equipment and has a distribution system stretching across the country.