Companies fined USD181,800 for mass fish deaths in Thanh Hoa

May 19, 2016 | 09:54

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The Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment issued a fine of nearly VND4bn (USD181,800) to three companies in Thanh Hoa Province on May 17 for discharging untreated wastewater which killed thousands tonnes of fish in Buoi River.

A farmer is collecting dead fish at her farm on the Buoi River in Thanh Hoa Province

Tan Hieu Hung Company, a cassava processing plant, Hoa Binh Sugar Cane and Sugar JSC and Pig Farm Nguyen Ngoc Sang were all fined.

Tan Hieu Hung Company is accused of 12 violations on environmental regulations and was fined VND2bn (USD90,900). The operation at the plant has been suspended for 12 months from May 20. The authorities asked the company to upgrade its waste treatment and monitoring systems.

The inspectors also discovered 12 violations at Hoa Binh Sugar Cane and Sugar JSC, including excessive waste water levels and a lack of an environmental monitoring programme. Hoa Binh was suspended for six months with a fine of VND1.8bn.

Compensations will be negotiated between the companies and affected people. The firms were also asked to deal with the consequences of the environmental damage.

The Nguyen Ngoc Sang Pig Farm was fined VND200m and banned from discharging wastewater for three months.

Dozens of fish farming households in Thach Thanh District, Thanh Hoa Province had to face huge losses after their fish stocks died en masse from May 4. A report from the ministry showed that more than 17 tonnes of fish from 34 farms died while there was no report on the number of wild fish killed in the river.

Hoa Binh Sugar Cane and Sugar Joint Stock Company admitted to releasing untreated waste water into the river and agreed to pay USD62,695 in compensation to local fish farmers.

tienphong, dtinews

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