Checking and seeing no foul odor
Regarding the incident of a cow farm being "accused" by people of raising hundreds of cows, causing serious pollution, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of the People's Committee of Nga Son Commune (Thanh Hoa Province) said that after receiving the feedback, the locality had established a working group to inspect and work with the farm owner.
According to the working minutes, the farm owner, Mr. Nguyen Van Tung (residing in Thang Thinh village, Nga Son commune), said that his family's farm was licensed by the People's Committee of the old Nga Son district on July 25, 2003, with an area of over 1,100m2, of which construction land is 185m2, grass land is 999m2, implementation period is 20 years.
To date, the construction area of the farm has reached 10,184m2. According to Mr. Tung, the increase in area is due to his family buying an additional 4,500m2 of agricultural land from households in 2012, then continuing to expand and build more greenhouses and greenhouses in 2022 and 2023.
During this process, Mr. Tung reported an application for an extension to the People's Committee of the old Nga Hung commune and the People's Committee of the old Nga Son town (now Nga Son commune), but there was no written approval, only word of agreement.
The farm has expired since June 2023, has not been newly granted, and there is no written suspension or relocation policy. Currently, the farm is raising 870 cows.
The inspection report shows: At the time of the working group, the organic waste of the farm was treated according to the process and instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. At a distance of 10m from the farm, the working group did not detect any foul odor or many flies and mosquitoes as reported.
To the west of the farm is a biologically treated livestock landfill covered with tarpaulins and odorless. At the meeting, Mr. Tung's family requested the local government to re- grants the operation license or relocate the farm to a suitable location.
Mr. Le Ngoc Khanh - Chairman of Nga Son Commune People's Committee - said that the locality is meeting to discuss the direction of handling the issue of land use at Mr. Tung's farm. "The commune can only determine whether the land use is right or not, and how much pollution is, it must be assessed by a professional agency, through indicators" - Mr. Khanh said.
People "accus" of stench and pollution
According to the people of Thang Thinh village, the inspection team's arrival but no foul smell surprised them. "We have lived here for many years, the cow farm stinks the entire residential area, everyone knows. Previously, the farm raised a few pigs but it was better, now that it raises hundreds of pigs, how can it not be bad" - a resident (name changed) shared.
Many households said that for more than ten years, since the cow farm has been in operation, they have been often "tortured" by the smell of stool and cow urine. "The stench covers the entire residential area. On hot, hot days, even though the doors are closed, we can't help but smell the stench entering the house. In addition, flies and mosquitoes surrounded them, disrupting their lives, Ms. Toan (name changed) said indignantly.
People also reported that the cow farm operated without a license, was built in violation of regulations and did not have a waste treatment system that met standards. They have made many recommendations but the matter has not been completely resolved.
Previously, recorded by Lao Dong Newspaper reporters on August 23, 2025, at the scene, the cow farm was thousands of square meters wide, located close to residential areas. Inside, there are two rows of prefabricated iron houses that house hundreds of cows. Right next to the residential area are piles of high-value cow dung, emitting a strong smell. The farm also has a black pond.
