Ha Tinh's Formosa compensation begins

People from Ha Tinh Province's Loc Ha District, one of the worst affected by the marine environment disaster earlier this year, started getting compensation on Sunday.-Photo vnexpress.net

The district's compensation package is around VND270 billion (US$12 million).

The district government had approved the compensation package for damages as a result of a toxic spill caused by Hung Nghiep Formasa-Ha Tinh Steel Company.

Loc Ha is the first district in Ha Tinh Province to have started handing out compensation to affected people as part of the US$500 million package that Formosa has pledged.

Around 5,000 workers in the district have been directly affected by the pollution, while another 744 have been indirectly hit.

"I hope people will overcome their difficulties and continue to use the ocean. It's essential that people use their compensation appropriately. The management board in charge of compensation payment must make the process as easy as possible for those affected. It must check carefully and hand over aid to the right people," Ha Tinh's provincial Party's Committee secretary, Le Dinh Son.

As per the latest inventory (October 9), in Ha Tinh, around 7,000 fishing vessels, 2,260 hectares of ponds, lakes and tidal flats, 31,700cu.m of cage farming, 127 hectares of salt fields plus nearly 48,000 workers and fishermen have been affected by the toxic spill. Aquaculture products left in the storage stands at nearly 1,800 tonnes.

The total damage to Ha Tinh is estimated at VND 2 trillion (US$89.6 million), of which VND1.98 trillion is direct loss.

Director of Quang Tri Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Vo Van Hung said yesterday that the province would provide compensation first for local residents in 16 coastal communes.

Nearly 45,000 people and more than 2,800 vessels from 16 communes and townships in the districts of Vinh Linh, Gio Linh, Trieu Phong, and Hai Lang were affected by the environmental incident caused by Formosa, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Quang Tri is set to receive total compensation of VND1 trillion ($45 million), half of which is ready to be delivered.