Quang Ngai (VNS/VNA) - Authorities in thecentral province of Quang Ngai have threatened to shut down a cement plant in BinhDong commune if the plant’s management board does not take measure to improveair quality and dust emissions.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee TranNgoc Cang said the province would invite independent consultants to monitor theenvironment around the cement plant.

The authorities had relocated 107 householdsliving just 50m from the plant to a new residential area, but more than 1,600households remain due to lack of funding.

According to a report from the province, the DaiViet-Dung Quat cement plant, which was built in 2005 and started trialoperations in 2012 with a total capacity of 500,000 tonnes per year, hadpolluted the environment and residents of Son Tra and Tan Hy villages. Theplant officially began operating in 2015, but had already heavily affected thelives of villagers.

Despite improvements made in March of 2015, theplant is still affecting local residents.

Cang said the province wanted to relocate 427households living near the plant, but needed 989 billion VND (43.5 million USD)to do so.

He added that the province planned to close theplant down or move it to another area away from residents.

In other decision released last week, the province instructed the VNT19wood-pulp plant in Binh Son district to upgrade its equipment and waste watertreatment system before it begins operations.

The province said the paper plant, which had adesigned capacity of 250,000 tonnes each year, had imported second-hand,low-quality equipment that would result in environmental pollution.

It said new equipment must be supervised by an assessmentunit approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and meet Europeanstandards.

The plant will need new coal-fired boilers, dustfilters, cooling towers, drying machines and a control system.

According to the management board of Dung QuatEconomic Zone, the plant was designed to cover 68.6ha of Binh Phuoc commune inBinh Son district, 20km north of Quang Ngai city, with total investment of 86.26million USD in 2011.

According to the province, the company hadrequested adjustments to its investment licence five times, and to increase thebudget for the project to 221 million USD.

However, the owner had delayed operations at theplant following its 2011 investment licence, and only some office buildings andstores had been built on an area of 6,200sq.m.

According to scientists and biologists, theproject would pollute the environment and damage the rich biodiversity of acentury-old nipa palm forest in the area.-VNS/VNA