Vinh Loc is one of the localities with quite rich mineral resources, including 16 quarries for construction materials with a total area of 68.68 hectares, approved reserves of 9,355,544 m3. In the district, there are dozens of establishments producing and trading in fine art stone, including the Mai fine art stone craft village in Minh Tan commune.
Mai Village has been recognized as a stone carving village since 2013. There are more than 30 enterprises, cooperatives, and households operating in the field of stone carving and production, with a capacity of about 23.95 tons/day. The total number of workers in the village is about 200, of which more than 130 are regular workers, the rest are seasonal workers.
Stone mining, production and processing villages have their own characteristics with “difficult problems” in ensuring the environment. Currently, the locality is implementing many solutions to solve outstanding problems, making efforts to minimize negative impacts on the environment in stone mining and processing activities.
To strengthen state management in environmental protection in craft villages, the Commune People's Committee regularly propagates, disseminates, and raises people's awareness of the responsibility to protect the environment; guides households producing and trading in fine art stone to properly classify and treat domestic solid waste, solid waste generated from production activities and wastewater according to regulations; and at the same time establishes a self-management team on environmental protection in Mai village stone craft village. In 2022, with the determination of the Party Committee, local authorities and people, the fence system surrounding the factory areas in the craft village has been renovated, and additional environmental treatment facilities have been installed...
In order to strengthen environmental protection in mineral exploitation and processing activities in the area, Vinh Loc District People's Committee has issued many documents directing sectors and levels to resolutely and synchronously implement state management solutions on mineral exploitation and environmental protection. The district has directed communes with occupations to actively propagate and mobilize handicraft stone production establishments to sign commitments and implement legal regulations on environmental protection. At the same time, apply strict sanctions to establishments that do not strictly comply with regulations. The district People's Committee also directed Minh Tan Commune People's Committee and handicraft stone production households in Minh Tan and Vinh Thinh communes to build fence systems, install door systems, misting systems, etc. to reduce dust and noise.
Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Vinh Loc district Mai Xuan Tung said: In the Mai stone craft village, the province has invested in building a wastewater treatment project, which is currently under construction. The district is also promoting investment in building Vinh Minh industrial cluster in Minh Tan commune with an area of 30 hectares to overcome and limit the environmental pollution that has occurred for many years in Minh Tan and Vinh Thinh communes. Phase 1 of site clearance work has been completed on 19.4 hectares; the Provincial People's Committee leased land with an area of 12.7 hectares; the remaining area is being cleared. The district has a plan to plan some places in Vinh Thinh with an area of 7.9 hectares into a concentrated production area to create a space to attract stone craft production and trading establishments located adjacent to National Highway 217 in Minh Tan and Vinh Thinh communes to a concentrated area.
In Yen Dinh district, taking advantage of the available resources of the limestone mountains, many enterprises have invested and expanded stone mining and processing activities in Yen Lam town, creating jobs for hundreds of workers. According to statistics, in Yen Lam town, there are more than 30 enterprises operating in the field of stone mining and processing, established many years ago. The environment is always a "hot" issue that many people are interested in.
To minimize environmental pollution from stone mining and processing activities, from the end of 2022, the Chairman of Yen Dinh District People's Committee requested Yen Lam town to establish an environmental management team for Yen Lam industrial cluster to regularly inspect and supervise compliance with environmental protection laws for stone mining and processing establishments in the town. Direct enterprises to strictly implement solutions to minimize environmental impacts on solid waste, dust, and wastewater according to the EIA environmental impact assessment report approved by the Provincial People's Committee; in particular, there must be solutions to thoroughly handle existing stone powder at establishments; resolutely handle or recommend handling violations according to regulations. Organizations and individuals engaged in stone mining and processing in Yen Lam town are required to be responsible for contracting with competent units to collect stone powder and soil and rocks scattered on the roads and spray water to reduce dust, especially on roads where people live adjacent to industrial parks, with a frequency of spraying water at least once a day.
Vice Chairman of Yen Lam Town People's Committee Doan Quang Phi said: In early 2023, the Town People's Committee issued a Project to ensure sanitation and environment in residential areas and sustainable development of stone craft villages. The Project has specific regulations on the environment of stone mining and processing industrial clusters, including watering activities to reduce dust on roads related to stone transport vehicles... Watering is carried out by enterprises that have contracts with Yen Lam Environmental Cooperative. The locality directs the strict implementation of the collection and transportation of household waste of enterprises and production and business households, and regularly inspects the environmental compliance of enterprises. Vehicles transporting construction stones must not be overloaded, causing them to spill onto the road. When cutting and crushing stones, tarpaulins and corrugated iron sheets must be used to cover dust, minimizing dust and stone powder from entering the environment; Water sprayers must be used on the stone crusher to limit dust released into the environment... However, the current difficulty in environmental management and protection is lack of funds and lack of human resources to perform management and supervision tasks.
Article and photos: Viet Huong
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