On 6/8, Cam Tan Commune People's Committee, in coordination with the police and relevant authorities, announced the administrative penalty decision for environmental violations against Nguyen Quoc Chinh and his wife, Le Thi Phuong, owners of two large-scale pig farms in Long Tien Village, Cam Tan Commune (former Cam Thuy District).
Authorities concluded that the two farms had been operating for about 7 years but violated numerous environmental regulations. The pig farm operated by Mr. Chinh was found to have discharged waste exceeding technical standards, installed underground pipes to discharge untreated waste into the environment, and failed to fully implement the contents of the environmental impact assessment report. For these violations, he was fined 350 million VND.
Ms. Phuong's farm committed similar violations and was fined 660 million VND. In addition, this farm was also found to have buried solid waste in violation of regulations and operated without an environmental permit. Ms. Phuong was required to suspend farming activities for 4.5 months to rectify the violations and is only allowed to resume operations after meeting all regulatory requirements.
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Dead fish from streams and ponds belonging to many households in the former Cam Long Commune. Photo: Cong Minh |
Dead fish from streams and ponds belonging to many households in the former Cam Long Commune. Photo: Cong Minh
In early June, hundreds of residents from Cam Long and Cam Phu communes protested the farms' operations, demanding their closure due to environmental pollution. Residents reported mass deaths of fish and shrimp in the Tra Boi stream flowing through Long Tien Village; many fish ponds using water from this stream were also severely affected.
An inspection by the Thanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found that wastewater ponds at the farm adjacent to the Tra Boi dam were black, emitting a foul odor, and leaking into the environment. Authorities discovered an underground pipeline carrying wastewater directly from the pig farm to the Tra Boi dam, which supplies water for domestic use and aquaculture for residents.
In discussions with authorities, Nguyen Quoc Chinh admitted the violations, explaining that a problem with the farm's biogas digester caused wastewater to leak. He pledged to support affected residents and rectify the issue by relining the storage tanks, and collecting and treating all generated wastewater.
The two farms owned by Mr. Chinh and his wife currently house about 2,400 sows and 5,000 pigs per batch, divided into two separate areas, and have been operating since 2018. The farms are located near residential areas, with some households only about 200 m away.
Le Hoang
