On September 28, informing reporters, Ms. Quan Thi Chieu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Phu commune (Chiem Hoa, Tuyen Quang) said that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (TNMT) had just taken water samples from a stream in the area - where sludge from the dam break in Bac Kan overflowed.
"Yesterday (September 27), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment went to the stream area in the area to collect water samples once again for testing," Ms. Chieu informed.
On September 16, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment sent a working group to the scene to inspect the situation, work with relevant units and take water samples for testing.
Previously, on September 14, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Tuyen Quang province also directed the Environmental Monitoring Center to coordinate with the People's Committee of Chiem Hoa district and the People's Committees of Binh Phu, Phu Binh, and Yen Lap communes to collect samples of stream water in the area for analysis according to regulations.
According to the People's Committee of Binh Phu commune, the sludge dam collapse in Bac Kan on September 9 affected the environment and livestock and production activities of many households in the area.
Initial statistics show that nearly 300/600 households in Binh Phu commune were affected, 29 tons of caged fish died, dozens of hectares of cultivated land were buried, with preliminary damage estimated at over 3 billion VND.
Affected localities have also issued notices and recommendations for people to avoid direct contact with stream water and waste sludge to ensure safety.
Previously, as reported by Lao Dong Newspaper, at around 7:00 a.m. on September 9, in Ban Nhuong village, Ban Thi commune (Cho Don, Bac Kan), a dam containing zinc and lead ore sludge of Bac Kan Non-ferrous Metals Company Limited broke.
The incident caused more than 1,000 tons of lead-zinc ore sludge and accompanying chemicals to spill into the environment, seriously affecting the ecosystem and the lives and agricultural production of hundreds of households in Tuyen Quang and Bac Kan.
Up to now, waste collection and environmental remediation work is still being implemented.
