LookAtVietnam – The NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment made a survey of bauxite sites in the Central Highlands in early March to collect information for NA deputies, said the vice chief Nghiem Vu Khai.

Dr. Nghiem Vu Khai.

What did the mission survey in the Central Highlands?

Before the trip, we carefully researched the bauxite mining plan, consulted the opinions of scientists, experts, social activists and related documents.

In the Central Highlands, the mission met with local government officials, representatives of the local NA delegations and provincial People’s Councils, made a survey and worked with the management board of the Tan Rai and Nhan Co bauxite sites, made field trips and talked with local people.

Local people expect that the plan will contribute to developing the Central Highlands. That expectation is legitimate and the goal of the plan.

The Vietnam Coal and Mineral Group (TKV) has been working on an infrastructure construction and resettlement plan. The greater people’s expectations are, the more responsibility we must take.

In its report to the government and the NA, what did the committee suggest?

The Politburo issued its conclusion about this issue and I think that that is the viewpoint and the basic orientation for amending and implementing the bauxite mining plan.

It is necessary to have a plan to define the goals, missions, itinerary and the measures to effectively exploit bauxite.

However, the plan is not an investment decision. We need to do more investigation and research to make timely and correct investment decisions, which are suitable to the situation and characteristics of the Central Highlands, with emphasis on comprehensive and sustainable effects.

The NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment’s mission made a field trip to the Nhan Co bauxite site.

Could you go into detail?

We need to make statistics of the reserves and quality of ore, the locations, the prices of aluminum and alumina in the world market, the sources of electricity and water, transportation facilities, technology, financial capability and management, especially environmental and social issues.

It is necessary to connect the bauxite mining plan to the economic and social development process of the Central Highlands and the country as a whole.

Once the above factors converge, bauxite mining in the Central Highlands will bring about higher effectiveness. We should carry out some projects on suitable scales to learn experience.

The reports on the environmental influences of the Tan Rai and Nhan Co projects are available. What is the committee’s opinion about the reports?

Though the reports are completed, in my opinion, they need to be supplemented and improved. At the same time, strict supervision over the design, construction and operation of environmental protection works of these projects is needed.

We need to re-evaluate the environmental impacts of the two projects because the available reports are for the previously-designed factories, with smaller capacities. In addition, we didn’t have a strategic environmental report at that time. The government has ordered the urgent compilation of the strategic environmental report and the environmental evaluation reports for Tan Rai and Nhan Co must be based on the strategic report.

The recent environmental regression and pollution, plus the complicated impacts of climate change, enhance the environmental risks, especially red mud and toxic waste of alumina processing procedures.

I don’t intend to argue for a refusal, I only want to emphasise that we need to further analyse advantages and disadvantages to come up with optimal solutions.

Chinese workers at the Tan Rai bauxite site (provided by the NA Committee for Science-Technology and Environment).

The government has assigned related ministries and agencies to prepare a report on bauxite mining in the Central Highlands to submit to the NA. Does the committee oversee this task?

The NA’s Resolution 66 stipulates five types of projects which must be submitted to the NA for consideration: total investment capital of over VND20 trillion, in which the government contributes at least 30%; criteria on environment, resettlement, defence and projects with special investment mechanisms.

The above plan on bauxite mining in the Central Highlands is not an investment decision so it doesn’t have to be submitted to the NA.

Realising the Politburo’s conclusion, the government’s next move is to collect more opinions to complete the plan.

The committee is responsible to help the NA examine and verify bills, sci-tech and environmental missions. However, there is no decision mentioning the committee’s examining the government’s report.

Do you think that Nhan Co is a key project which must be submitted to the NA?

Only a part of this project — building a railway route to transport alumina – involves investment capital of over VND20 trillion so only that part must be submitted to the NA for consideration.

LN

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