On October 22, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ninh Binh province announced that it had issued a decision to administratively fine Elmaco Investment Joint Stock Company ( Elmaco Ninh Binh Cassava Starch Processing Factory) in Tay Hoa Lu ward (Ninh Binh) VND 130 million.
This unit was fined for not properly and fully implementing the contents and requirements in the conclusion of the inspection and examination on environmental protection by a competent state agency.
Accordingly, the competent authority requires this Company to store and transfer common industrial solid waste, ensure compliance with regulations, and strictly comply with the provisions of the law on environmental protection during operation.
However, the Company did not transfer the common solid waste (including cassava and fish shells) to the competent unit for treatment according to regulations, but used an excavator to flip them into the settling tank and used a pump with a large capacity to pump, dilute, and dissolve, then flow into the lake with a capacity of 12,000m3 using the D160 pipeline.
The amount of sludge mixed with soil and rock from the pumping and diluting process at the settling tank collected and dumped by the Company in the area near Bioga Lake has a capacity of 12,000m3 (this location is outside the location of the normal industrial solid waste storage facility).
Previously, at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, Lao Dong Newspaper published a series of articles reflecting on the environmental pollution situation in the area of Elmaco Ninh Binh Cassava Starch Processing Factory for Export (in Son Lai Commune, old Nho Quan District).
Due to being too upset about the discharge causing environmental pollution, people in Xat and Me villages (Son Lai commune, old Nho Quan district), now Tay Hoa Lu ward, set up tents and hung banners right in front of the factory gate to protest and prevent vehicles carrying cassava from entering the factory.
Immediately afterwards, the authorities of Ninh Binh province established an inspection team to inspect the environmental pollution at the factory.
The results of the analysis of environmental samples, water samples, soil samples at fish shell storage facilities, solid waste samples... all exceeded the permitted threshold.
