Changes after the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection in 2020

Functional sector supervises environmental protection work at an enterprise

Innovative thinking, proactive action

Immediately after the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 took effect (January 1, 2022), Tay Ninh province (before the merger of the two old provinces of Long An and Tay Ninh) issued many legal documents, synchronously implementing executive directives to institutionalize the new contents of the law. Step by step, legal regulations have been concretized into practical actions, bringing positive results in many fields.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Lam - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the air quality in the province continues to be maintained at a good level, the water source of the Vam Co Dong River has been gradually improved. The rate of people using clean water and hygienic water reaching 100% reflects effective investment in water supply infrastructure as well as management and supervision.

100% of industrial parks (IPs) have centralized wastewater treatment systems that meet environmental standards. For example, through a recent inspection, Xuyen A IP has invested in building a synchronous technical infrastructure system, with a separate rainwater and wastewater collection system, in accordance with the approved planning. The investor has put into operation a centralized wastewater treatment plant (phase 1 and 2), including 3 modules, with a total capacity of 15,600m³/day.night.

At Tan Do Industrial Park, the investor said it has invested in an automatic wastewater monitoring system, connecting data directly to the Department of Agriculture and Environment. The production process ensures air quality in the area.

Industrial clusters (ICs) have a centralized wastewater treatment system that meets environmental standards, reaching 73.9%. The province also recorded a forest coverage of 9.8%, a positive indicator of ecosystem protection.

Notably, no new serious polluting facilities will arise in the 2022–2024 period. This shows a strong change in awareness and action among the government, businesses and people.

In addition, indicators assessing environmental protection efforts continue to improve. In 2023, the Provincial Environmental Performance Index (PEPI) of the former Tay Ninh reached 57.48 points (ranked 26th nationwide), while the former Long An reached 64.61 points (ranked 8th). These rankings reflect steps in the right direction in state management of the environment.

In addition, Mr. Nguyen Minh Lam also informed that one of the notable highlights is the change in development thinking, not pursuing growth at all costs. The province has shifted from passive treatment to proactive pollution prevention. Inspection and supervision of environmental protection work in production and business activities are carried out regularly, limiting the risk of pollution from the beginning.

Waste and scrap management is carried out in the direction of reducing generation, promoting recycling and building a circular economy model. Along with that, the system of state management agencies on environmental protection is strengthened from the provincial to communal levels. Environmental staff are trained and coached, improving their professional capacity and law enforcement.

Problems that need to be solved

Centralized wastewater treatment system of an industrial park in Tay Ninh province

In addition to many positive results, the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 in the province still faces many difficulties. First of all, the system of guiding documents from the Central Government is not yet consistent, causing difficulties in implementation at the grassroots level. Urban wastewater treatment infrastructure is still limited, and the rate of treated domestic wastewater is still low.

Next is the situation of transboundary water pollution that has not been thoroughly resolved. A part of the population and businesses do not have a high awareness of environmental protection. This is shown by the failure to properly classify waste at source and throw waste in the wrong place.

Along with that, the implementation of the extended responsibility of manufacturers in collecting and recycling products after use still faces many barriers. The collection and recycling system is not synchronous, lacking incentive mechanisms, causing difficulties in implementation.

Emission control from vehicles and manufacturing facilities remains limited. Penalties exist but are not deterrent enough. Circular economy and renewable energy models have not been widely adopted due to lack of financial incentives and specific support policies.

Another problem is the development of environmental databases. The lack of historical information, unified standards and data integration mechanisms are hindering comprehensive monitoring and assessment of environmental quality.

Despite many advantages and limitations, the initial results after more than three years of implementing the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 are positive signals showing a change in awareness and action in environmental protection. However, to promote long-term effectiveness, the province needs to continue reviewing and overcoming bottlenecks, perfecting policy mechanisms, strengthening inter-sectoral coordination and promoting the people's supervisory role.

A green, clean and sustainably developed Tay Ninh is not just a goal of a period, but a long-term journey that requires the synchronous participation of the entire political system, business community and people. Initial success in implementing the Law on Environmental Protection will be a solid foundation for the province to continue developing the economy in association with improving the quality of life and protecting resources for future generations./.

Le Duc

Source: https://baolongan.vn/chuyen-bien-sau-thoi-gian-thuc-hien-luat-bao-ve-moi-truong-nam-2020-a200221.html