Foreign enterprises blatant disregard for Vietnamese environment draws hundreds of millions in fines

The Hung Yen People’s Committee has imposed a fine of VND150 million ($6,631) on the US-owned Hanesbrands Bac Hung Yen Co., Ltd. for environmental violation. Meanwhile, the Binh Phuoc People’s Committee imposed a fine of VND264.7 million ($11,787) on Medevice 3S Company, a joint venture of Korean Shinheng Group, Brazilian Trade Centre Company and Vietnamese Nha Bich Co., Ltd. for similar violations.

According to the inspection records, samples collected from both companies’ discharged wastewater contained contaminants exceeding two and five times the permitted level. In addition, the exhaustion of both companies was twice the permitted level.

Along with the fines, provinces also ordered these companies to take appropriate measures to mitigate the environmental damage caused within three months.

Previously, Korean Em-Tech Vina Co., Ltd. in Vinh City of the central province of Nghe An was accused to discharge untreated wastewater into the environment, causing serious environmental pollution.

According to local residents, the company has discharged untreated wastewater directly into the local canal since it started operations three years ago. However, the provincial authorities have been ignored warnings and complaints until the damage mounted to catastrophic levels.

The company has over 3,000 workers, thus the wastewater volume is large and foul smelling. The residents complained that their daily life and cultivation areas were affected by environmental pollution caused by the company. Households could not use the water from the canal for irrigation because of the serious pollution.

According to newswire Thanhtra.com.vn, Kim Jong Un, Em-Tech’s managing director, confided that the company decided against building a wastewater treatment system because it only rented the facility. Besides, the company is developing a new plant at another area, apparently making a sizeable investment to build the wastewater treatment system.

Un added that the provincial authorities permitted the company to treat the wastewater by themselves.

Bach Hung Cu, deputy head of the Nghe An Environmental Protection Division, said that Em-Tech was inspected for the first time in February 2015. The local authorities detected that the company lacked a wastewater treatment system and discharged the wastewater directly into the canal. However, at the time, the company had only started operation for short time, thus the authority sought it fit to only issue a warning and refrained from imposing a fine.