Broken oil pipe of Chinfon causes environmental pollution

November 16, 2019 | 10:10

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Two days after an oil pipe broke at its incinerator, Haiphong city-based Chinfon Cement Corporation has to co-operate with the authorities to deal with the ensuing environmental pollution.

broken oil pipe of chinfon causes environmental pollution

Breakage of oil pipe of Chinfon causes environmental pollution (Source:Vietnamnet.vn)

On November 10, workers of Chinfon found out that the oil pipe system of the No.1 incinerator was broken, causing 7 cubic metres of oil to overflow, with two cubic metres escaping the factory and seeping into the Thai river. The remainder formed a pool in the concrete yard and was cleaned up.

When the incident was discovered, the company requested help from the Vietnam Environmental Incident Response Centre to mitigate the damage.

Oil covers duckweed plants. Source: vietnamnet.vn

This is not the first time Chinfon has an incident causing environmental pollution. Previously, in October 2010, Chinfon’s cement manufacturing factory discharged a large volume of cement dust into the environment of Thuy Nguyen district’s Minh Duc town, affecting the town’s inhabitants, with 350 households living close to the factory seriously hit.

The pollution drew public's ire who then blocked the factory entrance on October 1-2, 2010 and asked the city’s People’s Committee and Department of National Resources and Environment for help.

The representative of the company told VIR that this was an “unexpected incident” caused by faulty equipment. Besides, the incident lasted no longer than 30 minutes and the discharged dust volume was about 20 tonnes.

However, locals said Chinfon has been violating environmental regulations and locals had been suffering from dust and smoke emitted by Chinfon for years – and that the public’s complaints had been ignored by local authorities and the company.

Ironically, Chinfon’s motto announced on its website is “Always attaching great importance to keeping and protecting the environment, and abiding by the laws on environmental protection”.

By Ha Vy

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