Environmental impact assessment in project implementation

The project to upgrade the Town - Sinh Phinh - Ta Phin route in Tua Chua district was approved for the EIA report in Decision No. 1056/QD-UBND dated July 5, 2023 of the Provincial People's Committee. ***In the photo: Contractor implementing the project.***

Ms. Dang Thi Hong Loan, Head of the Department of Environmental Management and Climate Change (Department of Natural Resources and Environment) said: Environmental impact assessment (EIA) report is one of the important procedures that enterprises must carry out before implementing a project to identify, predict, evaluate and minimize the negative impacts of project development on the environment. If an EIA report is not carried out, environmental problems cannot be foreseen, and sometimes the environmental risks are greater than the economic efficiency of the project. The EIA report is an important legal and technical tool to review and forecast the environmental impacts of projects; it is the basis for enterprises to know more clearly about the current status of environmental quality. If the preparation and appraisal of EIA reports of projects are done well, it will help enterprises have effective environmental protection measures. At the same time, it helps management agencies monitor the implementation of environmental protection regulations more conveniently. From 2022 to present, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval 20 decisions approving EIA reports.

According to Clause 4, Article 29 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, the preliminary environmental impact assessment is not an administrative procedure that is appraised separately but is considered by the competent State agency at the same time as the dossier requesting a decision or approval of the investment policy. This is part of the content of the pre-feasibility study report on construction investment, the report proposing the investment policy, the dossier requesting approval of the investment policy and these reports and dossiers will be appraised in accordance with the procedures prescribed by law. Decree No. 40/2019/ND-CP dated May 13, 2019 of the Government also details and guides the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection, the list of subjects required to conduct strategic environmental assessment includes strategic and planning subjects, such as: National and regional-level sector and sector development strategies that have a major impact on the environment (including electricity; oil and gas exploitation, petrochemical refining; paper; chemical industry, fertilizers, pesticides; rubber; textiles; cement; steel; mineral exploration, exploitation and processing); national master plan; national land use plan; regional planning; provincial planning... In addition, Decree No. 40 also stipulates the list of projects that must prepare EIA reports or projects, production, business and service plans that must register environmental protection plans.

Since the beginning of the year, the specialized agencies of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment have held meetings of the appraisal council for 6 EIA reports, 5 reports proposing the issuance of environmental licenses; and issued environmental licenses to 6 projects and facilities. In addition, the inspection and supervision of facilities in compliance with environmental protection laws has been strengthened. Specialized agencies have closely coordinated in conducting inspection and examination work to promptly detect, handle or recommend handling of environmental violations in accordance with regulations.

With the consistent policy of economic development coupled with environmental protection, in recent times, environmental appraisal and licensing work has been improved, especially in the appraisal of EIA reports. The EIA report appraisal council for each investment project has reviewed, evaluated, examined, determined and given specific opinions on each EIA report before the project is approved. During the appraisal process, when it is found that the projects are ineffective, especially those in the group with serious pollution risks, the province resolutely refuses.

“Currently, the law on environmental protection is very strict. If a business is found to have not completed the EIA report procedure and yet starts construction of a project, it will be severely punished. During the construction process, the investor is required to monitor environmental indicators according to the approved EIA report,” said Ms. Dang Thi Hong Loan.

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