Vietnam News: Locals outraged by polluting shrimp firm (18 Feb 2014)

Locals outraged by polluting shrimp firm 

Thứ ba, ngày 18 tháng 02 năm 2014 cập nhật lúc 10:43

Hundreds of households in southern SocTrangProvince's Thanh Phu Commune are demanding strong action against a local shrimp processing company that has continued to pollute their main water source despite being fined several times for the offence.

The Tan Nhat Phuong Aquaculture Company, commune residents say, has not stopped discharging untreated waste water into the CanDuoc Canal, their main water source for irrigation and daily life needs, forcing them to suffer a "horrible" odour and badly affecting rice production.

They say that the Can Duoc canal irrigates thousands of hectares of rice fields in the province.

Commune resident Thi Bich Nga said the enterprise usually released waste water from night until dawn, and the terrible smell it caused made it difficult for all those who lived along the canal to sleep and even breathe.

Nga said the polluted water had seriously affected her rice field. Productivity had fallen from 1000kg per sao (1,300sq.m) to 700kg.

The seafood processing firm has been fined several times, but it has continued to repeat its offence, and local authorities say they do not have the power to shut it down.

Two weeks ago, My Xuyen District's Department of Natural Resources and Environment had carried out an inspection, and fined the company VND50 million ($2350) for relapsing their action.

Three previous inspections had found the firm dumping untreated waste water containing toxic chemicals 10 times higher than the allowed levels, according to the department.

The firm was fined more than VND74 million ($3450) and ordered to take measures within 30 days to have its waste water treated.

However, the situation has not changed.

Mai Thanh Cau, Chairman of the Thanh Phu People's Committee, said that Tan Nhat Phuong had two factories in Can Duoc and Zone No2 hamlets with 100 workers who process raw shrimp.

Both factories were releasing foul smelling waste water, he said.

Cau said his administration was helpless and did not have the authority to shut down the firm.

Meanwhile, a company representative contacted local reporters with a report saying it is building a waste water treatment plant.

The VND500 million ($23,500) plant, with a capacity of 200 cubic metres per day, would be completed in July, the report said, but the representative refused to respond to any query.

source from: 

http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=131639&Code=JSKW131639

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Event: 2nd Regional Forum for Waste Charging Scheme in Hong Kong (31 Oct 2013)

2nd Regional Forum - Kowloon East

Date: 31 October 2013 (Thur) 7:00PM

Venue: Sai Tso Wan Neighborhood Community Centre

Address: 81 Cha Kwo Ling Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon

for more information: http://www.susdev.org.hk/english/events/coming_events.php

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Hong Kong: Council for Sustainable Development launches public engagement process on municipal solid waste charging (25 Sep 2013)

Council for Sustainable Development launches public engagement process on municipal solid waste charging (with video)

The following is issued on behalf of the Council for Sustainable Development:

     The Council for Sustainable Development (the Council) today (September 25) launched a public engagement process titled "Waste Reduction by Waste Charging．How to Implement?". This process aims to encourage stakeholders and the general public to participate in the development of feasible mechanisms to implement municipal solid waste (MSW) charging, and to consider the difficulties involved and the related recycling facilities, with a view to reducing community waste at source and promoting the sustainable development of Hong Kong.

     The Chairman of the Council, Mr Bernard Chan, said that around 13,400 tonnes of waste is sent to the landfills each day, of which nearly 67 per cent is MSW, which includes waste from the domestic sector as well as the commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors. In the past 30 years, MSW in Hong Kong has increased by nearly 80 per cent while our population has only increased by 36 per cent.

     "The key to achieving sustainable waste management is waste producers, meaning you and me. Each of us needs to make some lifestyle and behavioural changes to reduce waste," said Mr Chan.

     He also stressed that the ultimate goal of waste charging is not cost recovery, but to establish behavioural changes in people's daily lives through economic incentives. The experience of other jurisdictions shows that MSW charging has been effective in inducing the necessary behavioural changes and encouraging active participation in waste prevention, reuse and recycling to achieve the ultimate objective of waste reduction at source.

     The Invitation for Response (IR) Document issued today provides background information on waste and related issues in Hong Kong, which forms the basis for discussion in the public engagement process. The issues for deliberation focus on four major areas:

* Charging mechanism - to explore different mechanisms in implementing quantity-based waste charging in Hong Kong;
* Coverage of charging scheme - to consider the implementation of charging scheme to all sectors in one go or to different sectors by phases;
* Charging level - to determine a charging level which can be widely accepted by the public and also be able to induce behavioural changes in achieving waste reduction; and
* Waste recycling - to seek views on how to support local waste recycling activities to meet community demand.

     Given that MSW charging covers a wide range of issues, the Council will organise a series of activities, including regional fora and roving exhibitions in the 18 districts, to allow the public and stakeholders to access the relevant information. In addition, more than 90 supporting organisations, including tertiary institutes, public authorities, research institutions, think tanks, green groups, non-governmental organisations, chambers of commerce and professional organisations, etc, have been engaged to help disseminate information about this public engagement process, as well as to create synergy and social cohesion to enhance publicity and participation.

     The IR Document can be downloaded from the Council's dedicated website (www.susdev.org.hk). Members of the public are encouraged to send views to the Council Secretariat (email:comments@susdev.org.hk; mail: Sustainable Development Division, Environment Bureau, 46/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong). The public engagement process will run for four months until January 24, 2014.

     MSW charging is an important measure in the Government's overall waste reduction initiatives. In addition, through the implementation of policies and legislation (e.g. various producer responsibility schemes); social mobilisation (e.g. Food Wise Hong Kong), support for the recycling industry and provision of recycling facilities, etc, the Government is contributing large resources to tackle the waste issue. Details are available in the "Hong Kong: Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022" (www.enb.gov.hk/en/files/WastePlan-E.pdf).

Ends/Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:31

Source: http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201309/25/P201309250437.htm 

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