Twenty-seven companies were found causing serious environmental pollution in 2009, the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority (HEPZA) announced March 4.
A company at Tan Binh Industrial Park in HCMC’s Tan Binh District emits black smoke into the air.
All of the companies were discovered discharging untreated wastewater and industrial smoke causing damaging health effects for locals. In addition, all had installed non-working or fake wastewater treatment systems and failed to adhere to their environmental protection pledges, said the authority.
Inspector of the HEPZA fined the 27 companies a total of VND200 million (US$11,000).
In the future, HEPZA will reinvestigate sources of local pollution including wastewater, exhaust fumes, and industrial waste; and invest in more infrastructures to protect the environment.
HEPZA will also ask infrastructure development companies to build automatic wastewater monitoring systems.
