Authorities of the northern province of Quang Ninh have officially turned down a chemical plant project due to its environmental risks to the UNESCO world heritage site of Ha Long Bay.
The project which has a design capacity of 20,000 tonnes of sodium and other chemicals such as Poly Aluminum Chloride and Javen is located at Viet Hung Industrial Park. It is located near the gate of Cua Luc River which discharges directly into Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay (Photo by Vietnam News Agency)
The project invested in by Tan Tien Company was licensed in 2006.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment earlier warned the province about potential chemical leaks into the environment. If the project faces any environmental problems, Ha Long Bay will be directly affected. This will result in a great loss for Quang Ninh Province’s tourism sector.
According to the provincial authorities, if Tan Tien Company wants to continue carrying out the project, the firm can choose another location in the province.
Tran Dong A, a senior expert in urban planning, construction and environment in Quang Ninh, supported the project’s rejection due to environmental concerns.
Large amounts of wastewater from nearby polluted lakes are discharged into Ha Long Bay every day, threatening the UNESCO world heritage site.
According to local residents who live near these lakes at Bai Chay and Hung Thang wards in Ha Long City, mass fish deaths have appeared there for many years, mainly around midmorning.