City fines 10 companies for pollution
The HCMC government has just imposed fines totaling VND661 million on ten enterprises in the city for discharging harmful wastewater and exhaust fumes into the environment, said an official.
Nguyen Thi Du, head of the Inspection Division of the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, told the Daily on Wednesday that the penalties against the ten violators were announced by the city government last week.
Six out of the ten enterprises are the infrastructure developers of industrial parks around the city comprising Binh Chieu, Tan Thoi Hiep, Cat Lai 2, Tay Bac Cu Chi, Tan Tao and Hiep Phuoc IPs. These developers were fined for discharging wastewater with polluting substances many times higher than the permitted levels.
In particular, District 7’s Public Services Company as the developer of Cat Lai 2 IP was fined VND75 million for discharging wastewater harmful to the environment although this industrial park had a central wastewater facility.
A document obtained by the Daily on Wednesday shows that the cyanide concentration in the wastewater after treatment at Cat Lai 2 IP exceeds the permitted level by 42.7 times, ammonium nitrogen concentration 38.7 times higher, and nickel concentration 21 times.
Other polluters that were fined this time include Quoc Viet Environment Co., the HCMC Environmental Company, Green Environment Company, and Petrolimex Shipbuilding and Commercial Company.
Among them, Green Environment Co. in Le Minh Xuan Industrial Park was handed the toughest penalty of VND175 million for emitting harmful exhaust fumes into the air exceeding the permitted level by 13 times.
Besides, the company also violated regulations regarding management and storage of its hazardous wastes. It therefore was also forced to suspend its operation.-Source: monre.gov.vn