VNT19 Pulp and Paper Factory commits to stop operations if environmental incidents occur

“VNT19 Pulp and Paper Factory will stop operating, be responsible for compensating for damages, and restore the status quo if an environmental incident occurs outside the factory,” Mr. Nguyen Duc Huu, Deputy General Director of VNT19 Pulp and Paper Joint Stock Company, affirmed this morning at a press conference on VNT19 Pulp and Paper Factory organized by the Department of Information and Communications of Quang Ngai province.
VNT19 Pulp and Paper Factory Phase 1 investment project, with a capacity of 350,000 tons of pulp/year, invested by VNT19 Pulp and Paper Joint Stock Company, is built in Phu Long village, Binh Phuoc commune, Binh Son district with a total area of about 117 hectares. The project has been approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for its environmental impact assessment report in Decision No. 2270 dated September 7, 2015. Up to now, the volume of the project has reached about 85%. VNT19 Pulp and Paper Joint Stock Company was assigned the sea area by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 1281 dated November 22, 2023 to build the project's treated drainage pipeline with a sea area of 0.45 hectares for a period of 30 years from January 18, 2024.

At the press conference, representatives of central and local press agencies raised many questions related to people's concerns about the risk of environmental pollution, impact on livelihoods and health when the factory's treated wastewater is discharged into Viet Thanh Bay; the investor's responsibility in consulting the community before constructing the pipeline to discharge the factory's treated wastewater into the sea; the people's consensus on the project with the post-treatment wastewater pipeline; when will the project be completed.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Huu, Deputy General Director of VNT19 Pulp and Paper Joint Stock Company, replied that the project's wastewater treatment system is designed with a capacity of 50,000 m3/day and night, designed and constructed by Finnish contractor AQUAFLOW. After the project comes into operation, the treated wastewater of the project before being discharged into the environment must be monitored automatically and continuously, and have surveillance cameras transmitting directly and continuously to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment . The treated wastewater will be discharged in a dispersed form in the sea area more than 1,000 meters from the shore. The company commits to ensuring that the discharge of treated wastewater from the factory does not affect the beach area and fishing areas of the people; Stop operations, take responsibility for compensation for damages, and restore the status quo if an environmental incident occurs.

Mr. Ung Dinh Hien, Vice Chairman of Binh Son District People's Committee, on behalf of the local government, said that local people in the project area are very interested in this factory and hope that ministries, branches and localities need to closely monitor the construction process of the factory to ensure that when it comes into operation, it will not affect the environment and people's livelihoods. According to the investor, the VNT19 Pulp - Paper Factory will consume 1.4 million tons of wood chips per year, equivalent to about 55% - 60% of the amount of wood chips currently exported through Dung Quat port.

Noon news on May 20, 2024, Tien Cong, Duy Hung

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