Paper mill continues polluting, ignores ban

Paper mill continues polluting, ignores ban

Trấn Yên Paper Mill in the northern mountainous province of Yên Bái continues to cause environmental pollution by producing paper, after disregarding the provincial authority’s ban to suspend its operations. — Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn

YÊN BÁI – Trấn Yên Paper Mill in the northern mountainous province of Yên Bái continues to cause environmental pollution by producing paper, after disregarding the provincial authority’s ban to suspend its operations.

Phùng Đình Thân, a representative of residents in Trấn Yên District’s Cổ Phúc Town, said the factory failed to comply with environmental protection requirements, discharging terrible odors and paper dust in the air and seriously affecting the health of local people.

In the past  一0 years, more than  二0 locals suffered from lung and stomach cancer and many children suffered from skin diseases due to paper dust.

Now the water is also yellowish.

The paper mill was not legally allowed to operate in residential areas, Thân said. Local residents have sent many complaints to the provincial authorities.

On August  五, the provincial People’s Co妹妹ittee ordered the paper factory to suspend operations. But the factory ignored the ban and continued production.

Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, chairwoman of the Co妹妹ittee, said the co妹妹ittee will find a place to move the factory as soon as possible.

Trấn Yên Paper Mill began operating in  二00 二 with a production capacity of  四,000 tonnes of paper per year. The factory registered to produce votive papers used for religious offerings and co妹妹itted to not causing smoke, waste water and noise pollution. — VNS