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| Coal dust and cinder pollute the air on a road near the Vinh Tan Thermal Plant No 2. Tuy Phong District authorities will study the possibility of relocating households harmed by the pollution. — Photo Binh Thuan Newspaper |
BINH THUAN (Biz Hub) — Le Tien Phuong, chairman of Binh Thuan Province's People's Committee, instructed Tuy Phong District authorities to research the possibility of relocating households harmed by pollution from a nearby thermal plant.
Following his instruction, the district's People's Committee was urged to research and set up relocation areas, co-ordinating with relevant agencies.
Thousands of residents demonstrated last month near the plant and blocked traffic on National Highway 1A to voice their anger about coal dust and cinder blown in from Vinh Tan Thermal Plant No 2. Thousands of residents' daily lives were affected by the pollution and emissions from the plant. Many reported that their children developed pneumonia. But they haven't yet agreed to relocate.
The plant managers should hold a meeting soon with the residents to tell them about their plans to reduce pollution, Phuong said in Dan Tri online newspaper.
He asked the plant to carry out measures to minimise environmental pollution and offer jobs to the residents, especially those in Vinh Phuc Village's Ward 7 – who were most directly affected by the pollution.
Phuong also called on local authorities to let residents supervise their work in a bid to prevent the spreading of inaccurate information.
Viet Nam News contacted Phuong for additional comment, but he was unavailable.
Thien Thanh Son, deputy director of Vinh Tan Thermal Plant No 2, said the company had made great efforts to cut down on dust pollution.
The power plant covered, canvassed and watered its 15-ha cinder dumping ground to prevent further pollution. Work is underway to complete a small road within the plant complex for trucks carrying dust to the dumping ground, so they don't contaminate the public Highway No 1 with any more dust.
The road would be ready for use by May 15, Son said.
Special trucks used for carrying cinder will cover and wet the cinder before transporting to reduce dust. The company also started installing water pipes to transport materials from Da Bac Lake to the dumping site. They'll be finished by June 31.
Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) said it would implement long-term measures to protect the environment, as well as immediate measures to stop the dust from blowing into the neighbourhood.
EVN urged Power General Corporation 3 – the plant's investor – to expand a special flyover over National Highway No 1 leading to the plant.
The Government was conducting studies on recycling the harmful cinder for use in producing construction materials, to stop its spread and protect the environment, EVN said. — VNS