Proposing functional agencies to intervene and handle
On September 3, Lao Dong Newspaper launched a series of articles "Shocked by strange odors emanating from paper factories without environmental records", reflecting the situation of foul odors spreading from the paper factories area in Thuy Phuong Industrial Cluster (Thanh Thuy ward, Hue City), affecting workers and surrounding residential areas.
Regarding the above issue, Mr. Ngo Van Tai - Deputy Head of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Department of Thanh Thuy Ward said that the paper factories of Truong Thang Phat Group Co., Ltd., Huy Tien Paper Production One Member Co., Ltd. and Trong Vuong Co., Ltd. in Thuy Phuong Industrial Cluster that Lao Dong Newspaper reflected have been operating for many years, from the time the industrial cluster began to form. During operation, businesses have changed names many times. The production process has shown environmental pollution, including wastewater discharged into the environment, smoke and dust.
According to Mr. Tai, in 2020, the inter-sectoral delegation of the City People's Committee and departments and branches conducted inspections and concluded on some violations in production activities, discharge causing environmental pollution and handling administrative violations.
In 2025, after implementing the two-level government, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will continue to inspect and handle administrative violations. To date, these companies have not completely overcome and have not fully implemented the decisions after inspection" - Mr. Tai said.
Through the process of monitoring and implementing management work at the industrial cluster, the local government proposed that the City People's Committee direct departments, branches, and relevant agencies to continue to inspect and thoroughly handle environmental pollution issues, especially the situation of wastewater discharge at paper mills that Lao Dong Newspaper reflected.
In recent days, a group of reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper continued to stick to the scene to record the operations of factories and surrounding areas.
On the afternoon of September 5, after days of rain in Hue in the afternoon, the Thuy Phuong Industrial Cluster area continued to have many columns of smoke emitted from paper mills. At times, cloudy white columns of smoke appeared thick and spread in the area.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang (name changed), a worker working at Thuy Phuong Industrial Cluster, on rainy days, the smell from the factory area often becomes more unpleasant because more smoke is released. "Many times the whole area and bypass road seem to be in fog. Every time it rains, smoke is white in the sky, I don't know why, but the stench is unbearable" - Mr. Hoang said.
Previously, on August 25, when approaching the back of the paper factory of Huy Tien Paper Production Co., Ltd., reporters recorded a quantity of ash and slag gathered outdoors, scattered in the land area behind the factory.
Local people said they had witnessed ash and slag in this area flowing out of rainwater into production land and near people's houses.
In a recent return to the scene, a pit about 1.5m deep appeared at the previous ash and slag gathering location. The pit stretched towards a wider low-lying area, in front of people's houses.
The excavated soil is built into a high bank, creating a wide path just wide enough for trucks to move. There are signs of ash and slag mixed in the soil.
Representatives of the Sub-Department of Environmental Protection (Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hue City) said that Huy Tien Paper Production Co., Ltd. is using land in Thuy Phuong Industrial Cluster to produce paper but does not have legal land use right documents, and has not been leased land by competent State agencies. Signs of excavating land and changing geology are illegal acts.
Black water around the paper mill
Also in the afternoon of September 5, after a light rain, the group of reporters continued to record the dirt ditch area running along the Hue bypass, the section around Thuy Phuong Industrial Cluster.
Initially, many sections of the ditch were dry, leaving only soil and weeds. However, water began to appear in some low-lying locations.
Going deeper into the area behind the factories, a dark black water stream suddenly appeared among the bushes. Water flowed continuously along the dirt ditch, with sections dark black, sections silvery, floating on the surface and emitting a strong stench. Reporters followed the water flow to determine the flow direction.
The further along the flow, the more black water became apparent. At the excavated pit behind the paper factory of Huy Tien Paper Production Co., Ltd. that appeared earlier, a concentrated black water had gathered like a temporary tank.
Water in this pit not only stagnates but continues to flow. Part of the black water overflows the landbank, along ditches and ditches flows to a wider area, where people are growing water spinach.
In the area around the factories, many sections of ditches also show black water. In some places, water stagnates into puddles, and in some places, a small stream flows continuously between the grass and soil.
Mr. Hoang Van An (name changed), a worker at Thuy Phuong Industrial Cluster, said that black water phenomenon often appears after rain. "As soon as it rains, black water from behind towards the paper mills flows down to the area where we are working. On the top is smoke, stench, on the ground the water is black, pungent, harsh. Little rain, where does water come from that flows so much, so smelly" - Mr. An said.
According to reporters' records, black water appeared in many locations around the factory area, including a point where the water started from the side of the Huy Tien paper factory area, then flowed along the low terrain to the outer soil ditch system.
Also present at the scene, the Economic Police force of Hue City Police coordinated with relevant units to take many water samples in the factory area for inspection and testing.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of the Economic Police Department, Hue City Police said that functional agencies are checking and verifying. If violations are detected, the police agency will handle them according to the provisions of law.
