Unease at the foot of the Len But quarry

They have a house but don't dare to live in it.

For nearly a year, more than 30 households in Yen Xuan hamlet, Tan Xuan commune, Tan Ky district have been living in constant anxiety, fearing that the quarry will resume operations. These households live directly below the Len But quarry of Tin Hoang Mineral Company Limited.

“Every time they blast, it shakes like an earthquake, it’s unbearable,” said Le Thi Oanh (34 years old), a resident of Yen Xuan hamlet. Ms. Oanh’s house is quite sturdy, having been built just five years ago. However, she says that after the most recent blasting at the quarry, the walls of her house are riddled with cracks. This house is also the closest to the quarry, only about 100 meters away.

The quarry is located quite close to a residential area. Photo: Tien Hung

Pointing to the roof of her house, which was damaged by the aftershocks of the blasting, Ms. Hoang Thi Hoa (50 years old), a resident living near the quarry, said that while she used to live in her house when it was operating, she now doesn't dare stay there for fear of it collapsing at any moment. “Not only during the day, but also at night, my family and many other households have to endure the dust from the quarry's crushing machines. Since the quarry resumed operations, our water supply has dried up because the main water source has been blocked by the quarry. Life has been completely disrupted, and the people are suffering terribly! If this continues, people will probably have to abandon their homes,” Ms. Hoa said angrily.

Similarly to Ms. Hoa, for many months, Mr. and Mrs. Phan Van Khoa have had to sleep under blankets in their dilapidated kitchen. This is because the main room, where their bedroom is located, has a crack more than 2 meters long running along the wall. In some places, the crack is more than 1cm wide, enough to lie on the bed but also allowing them to see outside through the gap.

“This crack appeared after the company detonated explosives at the end of 2024. Since the company announced it would resume operations last April, they've only detonated a few explosives, and this is already happening. If they operate regularly, detonating every day, I don't know how many days this house will last. Because we're afraid the house will collapse, we've had to move to the kitchen to live,” Mr. Khoa said, adding that he doesn't need compensation from the company for the cracks in his house; he only wishes for the quarry to stop operating.

Cracks in the bed frame at Mr. Khoa's house. Photo: Tien Hung

According to Mr. Khoa, the residents' worries here are not only about the damage to their houses caused by mining explosions, but also about the pollution of the water source. "The groundwater in this hamlet all flows down from the quarry. Previously, whenever the quarry was operating heavily, we couldn't use the water we pumped up for daily life because of the oil slick. The oil used for the machinery used in quarrying was dumped into the groundwater from above, and then seeped into our drinking water," Mr. Khoa said.

The Len But quarry was licensed to extract white marble in 2009. However, after a short period of operation, facing strong opposition from local residents, the quarry owner ceased operations. Recently, Tin Hoang Mineral Company Limited acquired the quarry and announced that operations would resume in April 2024. However, even during trial blasting, residents protested, claiming the blasting would damage their homes.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (75 years old) said that even now she is still terrified when she remembers the time the quarry exploded, sending rocks flying into her house when it first started operating in 2009. “That time, my grandchild was sleeping in bed when there was a loud explosion that shook the place. At the same time, a rock the size of a rice bowl flew down from the quarry, piercing the roof tiles and falling right next to my grandchild who was sleeping. Luckily, it happened. Thinking about it now still scares me,” Ms. Hoa recounted.

The house closest to the quarry. Photo: Tien Hung

The environmental impact needs to be reassessed.

Besides worrying about the blasting, many residents in Yen Xuan hamlet also complain about the dust and noise whenever the quarry operates. “Every time the quarry is in operation, dust flies everywhere in the hamlet. Furthermore, the noise affects our daily lives. Every time there’s a blast, the children in the hamlet scream and cry,” said Ms. Hoang Thi Khanh (47 years old), adding that her house was also riddled with cracks after the company's blasting at the end of 2024. She hopes to be compensated for these damages.

Mr. Phan Vu Hung, Chairman of the Tan Xuan Commune People's Committee, said that the concerns of the people in Yen Xuan hamlet are well-founded. "They are not only worried about the dangers of blasting but also about environmental pollution, especially water pollution. The government's stance is to revoke the quarry's license and stop its operation," Mr. Hung said.

The quarry, viewed from above, is also affected by the continuous operation of the quarry, according to local residents. Photo: Tien Hung

According to Mr. Hung, this quarry was previously licensed to another company. In mid-2024, after acquiring it, Tin Hoang Mineral Company Limited announced that it would resume mining operations after many years of suspension. However, as soon as they conducted a test blast, they faced opposition from local residents.

“To date, nearly a year after this company announced the quarry would resume operations, they still haven't been able to start mining. They only conducted a few test blasts in April 2024, and by the end of 2024, they continued to detonate more explosives to clear the quarry area. However, after that, residents unanimously reported that their houses were severely affected, with many cracks. We have also visited the affected households to assess the situation. Some households were severely affected and demanded 600 million VND in compensation. Others did not specify a amount, which depends on the quarry,” Mr. Hung added.

Another crack in Mr. Khoa's house. Photo: Tien Hung

The Chairman of the Tan Xuan Commune People's Committee stated that the local government has held numerous dialogues in the past, but to date, the situation remains deadlocked: “Since the last blasting operation to clear the site at the end of 2024, the company has stopped blasting. Due to opposition from the residents, the company subsequently moved the machinery to another location, but the residents still disagreed. The residents demand compensation for the damage caused to their houses by the blasting before they leave.”

Regarding this matter, a leader of the Tan Ky District People's Committee said that after receiving complaints from residents about the negative consequences caused by this quarry, the District People's Committee organized a meeting to discuss solutions to implement the recommendations of Tin Hoang Mineral Company Limited.

The People's Committee of Tan Ky District has also requested relevant departments and agencies to quickly investigate the complaints and requests from the people regarding the impact of blasting activities on the property of households, and to provide appropriate compensation and support solutions. At the same time, they should implement appropriate support policies for people affected during mining and transportation activities, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of both the people and the businesses are protected. The businesses are required to implement solutions and choose suitable mining technologies to minimize the impact on people living around the mine area.

"The government's stance is to ensure the interests of the people. If Tin Hoang Mineral Company Limited continues to directly affect the lives of the people during its mining operations, the district will send a document to higher authorities to take decisive measures," said a leader of the Tan Ky District People's Committee.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/bat-an-duoi-chan-mo-da-len-but-10295042.html