Over 100 tons of Formosa steel plant waste dumped on Ha Tinh farm

By Duc Hung   July 12, 2016 | 12:03 am PT
Over 100 tons of Formosa steel plant waste dumped on Ha Tinh farm
Ha Tinh authorities discover the buried waste in a mangrove forest. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung
Authorities are determining whether the buried waste is safe or hazardous.

Ha Tinh authorities have discovered over a hundred tons of industrial waste, released by the culprit of Vietnam’s recent mass fish deaths Formosa, buried under on a local farm.

The waste was found in Ky Trinh Ward, Ky Anh District (Ha Tinh) during an inspection conducted by the local Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

“We excavated the farm yesterday and found about 100 tons of waste. It came from the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel (FHS) plant. It will take time to determine whether this is conventional or hazardous waste,” said Le Nam Son, general inspector of Ha Tinh's Environment Department.

The farm covers thousands of square meters of mangrove forest with empty ground where the black, stinking waste was dumped.

According to Son, the Urban Environment Company in Ky Anh District had signed a contract to transport waste from FHS to a landfill site. The owner of this company is Le Quang Hoa.

Talking to the press, Hoa said the buried waste came from a waste-treatment facility at Formosa. The waste, according to him, is harmless black mud, which can be recycled or used as fertilizer.

over-100-tons-of-formosa-waste-buried-on-ha-tinh-farm

Director of the Urban Environment Company in Ky Anh District said the buried waste is harmless black mud that can be used as fertilizer. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung

Director of the Environment Department of Ha Tinh Vo Ta Dinh said he will work with related parties and strictly handle the case if there are signs of foul-play. “If the waste proves to be hazardous, the company will be pressed for answers and we will find out whether it had the right to do so,” said Dinh.

Taiwanese firm Formosa hit the headlines recently for causing one of the biggest environmental disasters in Vietnamese history, killing tons of fish across four coastal provinces. The company has officially apologized to the Vietnamese people and promised to pay compensation of $500 million to make up for the damage.

 
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