Vietnam Fisheries Association opposes mud dumping for power project
>> Tonnes of mud dumped in sea from power project
The Vietnam Fisheries Association has filed a complaint about the dumping of tonnes mud off the coast of Binh Thuan to construct the Vinh Tan 1 Coal Power Plant.
The association also proposed to set up an independent team to monitor the licensing process of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as the environmental impacts.
According to the association, the output in the dumping area is much higher than other places. Even though there are only sand and rock in the seabed, many crustaceans live there such as lobster.
Binh Thuan is a key supplier to lobster farms in Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan. With clean water, one-third of shrimp seeds are from Binh Thuan Province. Nearby is the Hon Cau Marine Protected Area and the fish also migrate through the region via the currents from the north.
Moreover, the association said that parts of the mud won't settle under the seabed and will be swept away and destroy the local ecological environment. "Binh Thuan plans to have five thermal power plants. Where will other projects dump their mud? Or will they also dump them into the sea?" the association wrote in their complaint.
Last month, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment approved Vinh Tan 1's proposal to dredge about 920,000 cubic metres of mud and soil and dump the waste into the sea in order to build the harbour for the plant.
Eighty percent of the mix is sand, 20% is mud and the rest are mostly seashells and gravel. It is said not to contain toxic or radioactive substances. It will be dumped into a 30-hectare sea area in Vinh Tan Commune, 8km away from Hon Cau Marine Protected Area. According to the authorities, the dumping ground is 36.1 metres deep while the Hon Cau Marine Protected Area is only 5 to 10 metres deep so it's unlikely that the dumped waste will affect the protected area.
The association also proposed to set up an independent team to monitor the licensing process of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as the environmental impacts.
According to the association, the output in the dumping area is much higher than other places. Even though there are only sand and rock in the seabed, many crustaceans live there such as lobster.
Binh Thuan is a key supplier to lobster farms in Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan. With clean water, one-third of shrimp seeds are from Binh Thuan Province. Nearby is the Hon Cau Marine Protected Area and the fish also migrate through the region via the currents from the north.
Shrimp farming in Binh Thuan
Moreover, the association said that parts of the mud won't settle under the seabed and will be swept away and destroy the local ecological environment. "Binh Thuan plans to have five thermal power plants. Where will other projects dump their mud? Or will they also dump them into the sea?" the association wrote in their complaint.
Last month, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment approved Vinh Tan 1's proposal to dredge about 920,000 cubic metres of mud and soil and dump the waste into the sea in order to build the harbour for the plant.
Eighty percent of the mix is sand, 20% is mud and the rest are mostly seashells and gravel. It is said not to contain toxic or radioactive substances. It will be dumped into a 30-hectare sea area in Vinh Tan Commune, 8km away from Hon Cau Marine Protected Area. According to the authorities, the dumping ground is 36.1 metres deep while the Hon Cau Marine Protected Area is only 5 to 10 metres deep so it's unlikely that the dumped waste will affect the protected area.
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