Substance imported by Formosa not granted licence
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) on September 19 announced that it did not permit the import of 160 tonnes of “red mud” was imported by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Co. Ltd.
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The ministry has established a team to work with other relevant agencies to test the imported substance.
Red mud is a toxic byproduct of the industrial process that refines bauxite, raw aluminum ore, into aluminium.
Earlier this year, Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Co. Ltd was responsible for the mass fish deaths along the coast of the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue. The pollution damaged about 400 hectares of coral and affected more than 260,000 people work in sea-related sectors.
The company pledged to compensate more than VND11.5 trillion (US$500 million), which will be used to support local fishermen in changing their jobs and recovering the polluted environment. It also vowed to deal with shortcomings in waste treatment.
