Living next to a trillion-dollar waste-to-energy project, people are both happy and worried

Hope to solve pollution

The project to build a domestic waste treatment and power generation plant in Tram Than commune (Phu Ninh district, Phu Tho province) started in October 2017 with a total investment of more than VND 2,242 billion, covering an area of ​​10 hectares.

According to the plan, the project will have to complete phase 1 with a power generation capacity of 9MW in 2020. By early 2024, Phu Tho province requires the project to complete construction and equipment installation in August 2024. However, after more than 7 years, the project is still under construction with many unfinished items.

It is known that when put into operation, 70% of waste in Phu Tho province will be collected, transported and processed here. The amount of waste collected and processed at the factory is 400 - 500 tons/day.

Mr. Hoang Dinh Quoc (Tram Than commune) said: "This factory has been built for a long time but is still not completed. People also hope that it will soon be put into operation to solve the pollution caused by gathering and burying garbage in the locality.

Everyone is looking forward to a large-scale investment factory that will operate effectively. In addition to waste treatment, it will ensure environmental issues."

According to Mr. Quoc, the reason why people have high expectations for the project is because the local environmental pollution situation is a headache. People hope that the factory will thoroughly handle the source of household waste. In addition to creating more jobs, the factory can also contribute to the electricity grid.

Constant worry

According to Mr. Quoc, including the waste-to-energy plant under construction, the locality has three waste treatment facilities located close together. For many years, the locality’s environmental problems have been alarming.

"Two local waste treatment facilities have caused pollution over the past decades. The factory of Phu Minh Vina Environmental Company Limited regularly emits black smoke with a very pungent smell. Burning garbage makes the air stuffy and affects health.

The landfill of Phu Tho Waste Treatment Joint Stock Company has a strong stench. On rainy days, the Vietnamese sausagey wastewater flows down, affecting the people," said Mr. Quoc.

Sharing the same concern, Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong (Tram Than commune) said that living near 3 garbage areas is a constant worry. For many years, people have had to live with the stench, threatening their health. Not to mention the risk of unsafe water sources.

"Currently, the two waste treatment areas have caused environmental alarm. There are a lot of flies, and when it rains, water leaks into the fields. The activities of burying and burning waste in the area for many years have caused pollution.

In the future, there will be more waste-to-energy plants, but we don't know if the smoke will affect people's health. We just hope that the operations will ensure environmental safety so that people will have less trouble," said Ms. Phuong.

On November 2, speaking with Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Mr. Le The Cuong - Chairman of Tram Than Commune People's Committee said that currently, the waste-to-energy plant project is still under construction, and it is not clear when it will be completed.

"Around the project, there are 5 households in the area that have to be relocated. Currently, a resettlement area is being built. When completed, the households will be moved here to stabilize their lives.

Locals and people all hope that the waste-to-energy plant, when operational, will solve employment and social security issues. Environmental issues must be ensured according to regulations," the leader added.