The dialogue was organized by the People's Committee of Ben Tre Province, in coordination with the Ba Tri District People's Committee.
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Residents of Ba Tri District speak at the dialogue |
At the dialogue, representatives from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ben Tre Province reported that the local authorities have covered all waste burial cells in the An Hiep Landfill, which has a total area of 23,300 square meters, completed repairs and upgrades to the height of the perimeter wall, and reinforced the anti-seepage embankment along the wall.
Up to now, leachate no longer spreads to the surrounding environment. The local authorities have also planted approximately 448 trees around the An Hiep Landfill and sprayed biological and chemical agents in the landfill area twice daily to limit the proliferation of insects and the spread of foul odors from the landfill.
The An Hiep Landfill's capacity has also been expanded by 3 hectares. By September 28, the local authorities had completed the compensation for affected households in the area, and the land was handed over to the construction unit on September 29, 2023. Currently, the construction unit is urgently renovating the shrimp ponds of local residents into biological ponds of approximately 2,700 square meters to store rainwater and leachate while the construction of the landfill's wastewater treatment system is in progress.
At the dialogue, the majority of people agreed with the results of overcoming environmental pollution at An Hiep Landfill. Many households proposed that if waste continues to be brought to the An Hiep Landfill for disposal, pollution must be thoroughly and effectively addressed to prevent a recurrence of severe environmental pollution.
Additionally, it is necessary to pay attention to health and have health insurance for people living around the landfill. Some residents suggested that the local authorities should relocate the landfill to another location, and if relocation is not possible, residents should be moved away from the area to avoid long-term health effects.
Speaking at the dialogue, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ben Tre Province, Mr. Tran Ngoc Tam, acknowledged that the recent environmental pollution incident at the An Hiep Landfill has a huge responsibility in the direction, administration, monitoring, and supervision of local authorities at all levels.
After the recovery period, up to this point, An Hiep Landfill has basically overcome environmental pollution, with pollution levels reduced by more than 95 percent. In the future, An Hiep Landfill will continue to receive and process waste in the form of hygienic burial until the Ben Tre Waste Treatment Plant completes restructuring and goes into operation, expected in the first quarter of 2026.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Tam requested the Ba Tri district People's Committee to establish a monitoring team to oversee the waste reception and treatment at An Hiep Landfill, as well as publicly announce a hotline phone number at the landfill gate for residents to promptly report any environmental pollution incidents.
Regarding concerns that the chemicals used by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to control odors could affect people's health, Mr. Tran Ngoc Tam reassured that these are biological agents that meet all standards and should not leave any adverse effects.
He also required the provincial health department to cooperate with the Ba Tri District Health Center to conduct medical examinations for residents living around the landfill twice a year. Regarding the suggestion to relocate residents away from the landfill area, he emphasized the need for a professional assessment and evaluation of the people's wishes, while ensuring compliance with regulations and policies.
According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Tam, relocating the An Hiep Landfill to another location is not possible, as the investment and construction of this landfill were carried out according to previous planning.
He informed that until the Ben Tre Waste Treatment Plant completes restructuring in 2026, An Hiep Landfill will accept waste from Ben Tre City and Chau Thanh District from now to 2026. After 2026, the An Hiep Landfill will only handle waste from Ba Tri District.
