The case of the "siege" of a river section by the sludge dump: Two businesses forced to fix it and restore the ecology

On December 4th, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Binh Dinh province released official information regarding the "giant" sludge dump causing environmental pollution and affecting the lives of people in Area 4, Nhon Binh Ward (Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh province), which the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper had previously reported on.

Clearly identify the responsibilities of the two businesses.

According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Binh Dinh province, on October 30th, the unit coordinated with relevant parties to directly inspect the site of the accumulated mud. The results recorded the phenomenon of mud deposition in the riverbed along the flood drainage channel from Quy Nhon 3 spillway to the point of confluence with Truong Uc river. This mudflat is approximately 200m wide and 300m long.

A "giant" mudslide surrounds a wide stretch of river.

The siltation is obstructing flood drainage, posing a risk to agricultural production during the 2023-2024 Winter-Spring season in the agricultural areas north of the Quy Nhon 3 spillway, and affecting water access for aquaculture for some households in the surrounding area.

The inspection team determined that the sedimentation was caused by the pumping and storage of dredged material from the investment project to upgrade Berth No. 1 at Quy Nhon Port, carried out by Quy Nhon Port Joint Stock Company.

Of these, two main causes stem from the formation of a temporary storage basin that partially obstructed the flow, causing sedimentation upstream of the basin, which was not regularly dredged during the project's construction. This is the responsibility of Quy Nhon Port Joint Stock Company.

Businesses that dredge and use sand for landfill purposes dump the resulting waste into mudflats that cover entire sections of the river.

The second reason is that the construction and operation of the sedimentation ponds at disposal site No. 2 have not been effective, resulting in a quantity of sludge from the ponds overflowing into the area from the downstream of the Quy Nhon 3 spillway to the temporary storage basin, causing sedimentation. This is the responsibility of Phu Gia Riverside Co., Ltd.

We need to clean up and restore the ecosystem.

Based on the inspection results, the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province has requested Phu Gia Riverside Co., Ltd. to be responsible for reinforcing and upgrading the holding ponds at waste disposal site No. 2 of the New Urban Area Project in the Cho Goc area, and to operate the holding ponds properly, preventing sludge from escaping and causing sedimentation downstream.

The thick, muddy banks are "choking" the flow of the river.

We request that Quy Nhon Port Joint Stock Company and Phu Gia Riverside Limited Liability Company urgently coordinate to dredge all the accumulated sediment and pump it to disposal site No. 2 of the New Urban Area project at the Góc Market area for storage; no later than January 15, 2024.

Businesses need to focus on completing the dredging of the 50m wide channel section at the Quy Nhon 3 spillway gate where it merges with the Truong Uc River to ensure flood drainage, no later than December 15, 2023.

The Quy Nhon Port Joint Stock Company is required, after completing the remediation work, to implement measures to restore biodiversity in the project area as previously committed.

Mudflates have blocked a section of the river, preventing boats from entering the dock to anchor.

As reported by SGGP newspaper, dozens of households in Area 4 (Nhon Binh ward) have complained that for months, their lives have been disrupted by pollution, flooding, and foul-smelling sludge that has enveloped both the river and the ponds where people raise shrimp and fish.

A massive accumulation of sludge has submerged entire stretches of the river, depriving locals of their livelihoods from fishing; meanwhile, mud has flooded aquaculture ponds, causing significant fish and shrimp deaths; and the sludge has clogged the river, preventing boats from anchoring…

It is known that the dredging project for Berth No. 1 – Quy Nhon Port covers an area of ​​approximately 189,982 m², with a dredged material volume of nearly 530,000 m³, mainly sand and mud. After being dredged, this material is transported to a temporary storage basin in the riverbed at the confluence with the Truong Uc River for filtration and then transferred to storage ponds at two dumping areas with a total area of ​​17.3 hectares in the new urban area of ​​Cho Goc, invested by Phu Gia Riverside Co., Ltd.

NGOC OAI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/vu-bai-bun-thai-vay-ham-khuc-song-buoc-2-doanh-nghiep-khac-phuc-tra-lai-sinh-thai-post716906.html