Ha Long sea encroachment project investor fined 125 million VND

Quang Ninh Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspectorate fined the investor of the Ha Long Bay encroachment project 125 million VND for two violations in the environmental field.

According to the penalty decision issued on the morning of November 7, Do Gia Capital Company Limited, the investor of the 10B urban project in Cam Pha City, did not publicly disclose the project's environmental impact assessment report. The report was approved by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee on June 15. For this violation, the investor was fined VND35 million.

In addition, the investor has not yet constructed a surrounding embankment system but has dumped soil and rock into the coastal waters within the project planning boundary, and has not dredged mud at the dump site, causing the mud to be washed away by the tide. This act was fined 90 million VND.

Within 10 days of receiving the decision, the investor is responsible for paying the fine and publicly disclosing the environmental impact assessment report.

A corner of the Ha Long sea encroachment project. Photo: Le Tan

The 10B urban area project is located in Quang Hanh ward, Cam Pha city, approved in 2021 with a total investment of more than 1,230 billion VND, a total area of ​​nearly 32 hectares, of which nearly 3.9 hectares are located in the protection zone II (buffer zone) of the special national monument of Ha Long Bay.

Following press reports, on the afternoon of November 6, an interdisciplinary delegation from Quang Ninh province inspected the actual construction of the project and determined that there were violations such as not following the construction process as approved in the environmental impact assessment report. Legally, the project has full licenses and there are no mangrove forests within the project area.

Currently, the project has been suspended so that Cam Pha City authorities can inspect and evaluate the construction plan.

Ha Long Bay was ranked as a special national monument on August 12, 2009, and was twice recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage for its outstanding global aesthetic value in 1994 and its geological and geomorphological value in 2000. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

Ha Long Bay covers an area of ​​1,553 km2, of which the UNESCO World Heritage Site covers 434 km2 with 775 islands. The Ha Long Bay buffer zone, which is over 300 km2, serves to provide additional protection for the heritage site.

Nearly 30 years ago, when preparing the Ha Long Bay heritage dossier to submit to UNESCO for recognition, the buffer zone was implemented according to the recommendations of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a range of 4-5 km from the core zone boundary. Most of the wards in Ha Long such as Tuan Chau, Dai Yen, Hung Thang, Bai Chay, Hong Ha, Hong Hai, Ha Tu, Ha Phong; the island communes of Ngoc Vung and Thang Loi of Van Don district; Hoang Tan commune of Quang Yen and part of Cat Ba archipelago, Hai Phong city are located in the Ha Long Bay heritage buffer zone.

Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee believes that the buffer zone is too large, leading to difficulties in the management, conservation and promotion of the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site, affecting the province's socio-economic development strategy. Quang Ninh is preparing a project to "Adjust the boundary of the Ha Long Bay Heritage Buffer Zone" with the goal of not affecting the outstanding global value of the heritage, bringing benefits to the community.

Le Tan

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