VietNamNet Bridge - The average cost to treat harmful waste
has skyrocketed up to VND40 million (US$2,000) a ton from only VND1.3 million
in 2007. With such booming prices, businesses have to draw up contracts with
waste treatment companies.

Prices skyrocket

The director of a cooking oil production plant in Tan Binh
Industrial Zone (IZ) said that in 2009, his plant signed a waste treatment
contract for the price of VND4.5 million a ton, but now it has increase to
VND20 million.

Two other companies in Hiep Phuoc IZ and in District 12 have
signed contracts to collect and handle harmful waste at VND40 million a ton.

Meanwhile, the director of a drug production plant in
District 12 said that waste treatment companies have been very choosey in
things they want to recycle and with others, they reject. The ones they reject
need to be handled with high temperatures.

Another issue has become known with regard waste treatment.
To cope with the surging prices for waste treatment and with the inspection of
authorized organizations, several of them have pretended to sign contracts with
the waste collection and treatment companies.

It means they pay the companies a certain amount of money,
which both sides have agreed on, in order to deal with the environment
inspectors. These businesses do not transfer any of the hazardous waste, or
possibly only a little for treatment.

Meeting one twentieth
of demand

The harmful waste treatment companies are just able to meet
one twentieth of the demand, causing the price to skyrocket, according to
Nguyen Trung Viet from the city Department of Natural Resources and
Environment.

Statistically, HCMC produce 600 tons of harmful waste a day
while the treatment companies just accommodate only 30 tons a day, which leads
to them increasing their prices. Additionally, they usually chose the type of
waste they are able to cycle, although the number of waste unable to recycle is
three times higher.

In 2008, HCMC had 20 harmful waste treatment companies, most
of them being private companies with little scope and capacity.

The number has been sharply dropped this year as the
environment inspectors have tightened the regulations and have suspended 17
companies for failing to meet environment standards.

Because of the booming number of harmful waste, and the
reduction in the number of the treatment companies, the Department of Natural
Resources and Environment has called on an enquiry into this issue.

However, no enquiry has been carried out because there is a
shortage of land in the city. In the meantime, several treatment companies have
reported difficulties about enough land space they need to broaden their bases.

Some years ago, the city government planned to build a
complex for treating waste in Cu Chi District. This 100-hectare area site has
not yet come to be built, as there is still some paper work to be completed,
with regard to clearance problems.

Many treatment companies have left HCMC for neighboring
provinces of Binh Phuoc and Binh Duong. They are to build more waste treatment
plants there, as the demand is very high.

HCMC management has tried to stabilize prices, but because
of the increasing cost of treating harmful waste, it has affected cooking and
product prices in the marketplace. To cope with the issue, the city will soon
establish a facility to treat hazardous waste.

According to Bui Cach Tuyen, deputy director of the Ministry
of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam has 60 harmful waste
treatment companies with only small capacity.

Source: SGGP