Authorities in HCM City have just rejected the proposal by the Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex to refuse accepting more rubbish from the city.
Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex has been blamed for causing environment pollution in the southern area of HCM City
Vo Van Hoan, chief of office at the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, confirmed on October 7 that the complex should still accept all the rubbish from the city as agreed in their contract before they can find a new solution.
"We've passed on a report on the environment problems in the area to the prime minister," Hoan said. "There are some shortcomings in the waste treatment technologies of the complex and they need to try to fix it. And we will work with agencies and experts to discuss the best measures to treat the waste so it does not affect the environment."
The Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex has recently informed the municipal authorities that they would not accept an additional 2,000 tonnes of waste per day in response to the resident complaints of a foul odour emanating from the plant.
The additional garbage, which has been received since late 2014, will no longer be handled, beginning October 10 until the expansion of the wastewater plant at the complex is completed, scheduled for next February, according to the Vietnam Waste Solutions, the investor of the complex.
The complex, which cost over USD100 million, was treating around 5,400 tonnes of waste a day.
There have been complaints about the bad smell from people living in District 7, Nha Be and Binh Chanh districts since August 30. Local people already suspected that the smell came from Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex.
Hoan said that after monitoring Da Phuoc's operation, it looks like the wastewater tank and the rubbish pit were the causes of the problem.
However, Hoan said this was not an environmental disaster because the smell appeared at different times and depended on the wind direction. "This is a technical and management problem," he said