18 Sept – The Vietnamese Government said it will order Vedan to stop operations at its monosodium glutamate plant (MSG) in the country while a full investigation is carried out into allegations the company has been discharging contaminated waste water into a nearby river, sources have said.
The move comes after authorities said they caught Vedan dumping untreated waste water from its factory in Dong Nai into the Thi Vai River through purpose built pipes concealed 9m under the water. Police sources have indicated the pipes could have been in place for a number of years.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) Pham Khoi Nguyen was quoted yesterday as saying: “We will ask Dong Nai Province to stop the firm’s operation for inspecting its whole system (of wastewater treatment), and the firm to put forth measures to deal with the aftermath.”
He described Vedan’s alleged violations as “very serious” but gave no indication of how long the plant would be out of production.
The Government has said it plans to take a firm stance with the company after, they say, gathering evidence over a period of months.
Sources suggest Vedan is accused of discharging 45,000cu.m of contaminated effluent, effectively killing a 12-km stretch of the river. It is believed it costs US$600 to treat 1cu.m of the waste water.
The situation is considered so serious that the Vietnamese Prime Minister is now involved and has said that if there is sufficient evidence, Vedan’s plant will be temporarily closed and the firm prosecuted.
FLEXNEWS contated Vedan but the company declined to comment on the situation.
Vedan MSG Plant in Vietnam