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| Backward technologies and toxic chemicals causes serious environmental problems in traditional handicraft villages |
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In an initial check of 15 coastal economic zones and 48 traditional handicraft villages nationwide, the environmental pollution has reached an alarming level. People think that protecting the environment is responsibility of local authorities.
Most of production units in the villages use backward and fuel-intensive technology. Many use cheap material and toxic chemicals, affecting local health.
A survey by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in 2009 showed that many production units often discharged untreated waste into the environment at toxicity levels 10 times higher than the permitted levels. A number only operated their waste treatment systems when the inspection teams visited.
Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Huu Chi said the villages only obtained USD1 billion in export value annually, but their abuse of the environment would have dire consequences to come in the next five to ten years.
The money they spent on dealing with environmental problems was three to five times higher than what they had contributed to the state budget, Chi added.
But it isn’t just craft villages that have contributed to the problem. The same situation is replicated at newly built economic zones. The majority of the zones have been extraordinarily slow in building environmental protection infrastructure, with most lacking basic air quality monitoring equipment.
The economic zones spend modest amounts on environmental protection, said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen. The zones in Ha Tinh Province topped the country in terms of environmental investment with VND618 million (USD29,711) in spending in 2009. In contrast the Van Phong Economic Zone in Khanh Hoa Province only spent a paltry VND10-30 million (USD480-USD1,444) on environmental protection measures in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Some provinces have not bothered even allocating a budget for environmental protection.
Lax management
Delegates at the meeting said localities had to take the main responsibility for the environmental problems, but had preferred focusing on attracting investors and loosening environmental supervision.
A representative from the Ministry of Public Security’s Environment Police Department said the highest fines issued for environmental violations amounted to just VND500 million (USD24,038). Therefore many companies were willing to pay the fine instead of investing in waste treatment systems.
The environmental pollution at economic zones and traditional handicraft villages is set to be discussed at the National Assembly’s session in October this year.
P. Thao
(MONRE)