According to reflections from people in Linh Son ward (Thai Nguyen province), recently, an open ash and slag storage yard with a scale of thousands of m3 near the foot of Cao Ngan bridge but lacking measures to ensure environmental safety and hygiene.
Ash and slag are piled up here in piles but there is no tarpaulin to cover the floor, tarpaulin covers to prevent dust and water from spreading into the environment. It is worth mentioning that this area is only about 10 meters from the Cau River bank.
PV's records in mid-May 2026, the gathering yard is thousands of square meters wide.
Here, ash and slag are collected directly on the ground, without tarpaulin. Open piles of ash and slag are not shielded or covered with tarpaulin. Adjacent to the Cau River bank, the collection yard is only separated by 1 row of trees.
Ms. Vuong Thi Hong Cay (Linh Son ward) said that the gathering yard has existed for a long time. When the sun rises, there is dust, the biggest fear is that water will soak into the ground. "I also hope there is a safety assurance plan. This ash and slag is also very toxic, especially there are no environmental assurance plans," Ms. Cay said.
Sharing the same frustration, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam (Quan Trieu) said that the pile of slag is high and lacks safe covering plans. He only saw them watering, but did not see any additional protection measures.
The biggest fear is the rainy and flood season, if water from the gathering yard seeps into the ground, I don't know what the consequences will be. The area at the foot of the bridge next to this riverbank is easily flooded. The gathering yard is located near the riverbank and close to a busy traffic route, so everyone is worried," Mr. Nam said.
According to local people, ash and slag at this storage yard are taken from some thermal power plants in the area. After being transported here, ash and slag are mixed with additives and then supplied to building materials units.
It is known that coal ash and slag are not hazardous waste but are on the list of ordinary industrial solid waste.
The collection of ash and slag must strictly comply with environmental regulations, including: having a cover system to avoid dust emission, lining a waterproof base for the storage yard and having a system for collecting and treating leachate...
On May 21, in an exchange with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, a leader of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Thai Nguyen province said that they have not grasped information about the operation of the ash and slag storage yard under the Cao Ngan bridge area. At the same time, they requested reporters to provide image information to conduct inspection and verification.
Previously, reporters had repeatedly contacted Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Chairman of Linh Son Ward People's Committee by phone about the content of the case and requested information, but Mr. Tuan did not respond.
