VietNamNet Bridge – Currently 4,000 factories in the country are causing serious environmental pollution, Nghiem Vu Khai, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Science, Technology and Environment has announced.

Nghe An’s Anh Son Cement Factory emits dangerous smoke into the air. Serious polluters will face strict punishment for violations.

Khai said the findings were even more damaging than expected, with an alarming volume of domestic and industrial waste being dumped into the environment.

He said the department planned to apply the highest punishments available under the Environment Protection Law to these polluters, which included both enterprises and hospitals.

If the culprits are found credit-worthy, however, they will be allowed to borrow money from the Environment Protection Fund to improve their waste treatment systems and try to fix the effects of their pollution, said Truong Manh Tien, the director of the fund.

Enterprises along the Cau, Nhue, Day, Dong Nai and Han rivers will take priority, said Tien.

The committee suggested that the Government publish specific guiding documents, from which the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, provinces and relevant sectors can use as reference to punish environmental offenders in industrial and urban areas.

Incidents where environment violations are so severe they fall under Criminal Law will be raised to higher levels, said Khai.

Khai stressed that it was necessary for local authorities to manage environment protection in their localities, improve the efficiency of environment protection activities, build environment observation and analysis stations and allocate capital for these activities.

(Source: Viet Nam News)