HCM City will not supply electricity to companies that severely pollute the environment, said Ngo Anh Tuan, Deputy Head of the HCM City Management Board of Industrial Zones and Export Processing Zones (Hepza), on April 13.

Some plants in Le Minh Xuan Industrial Zone discharge untreated waste water to Canal No. 8.

Tuan said this is the toughest form of punishment that HCM City authorities will impose on polluters. He said many enterprises intentionally pollute the environment, even after they are warned and fined. Without harsh measures, they will not change.

The HCM City Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and the local Environment Police Agency have cooperated to inspect more than 100 enterprises in the city. More than 50% of them were found violating rules on the environment.

Popular violations include: keeping toxic waste in unsecured conditions; having no waste water treatment systems or having under-standard systems; having exhaust treatment systems but not operating them continuously.

The HCM City Department of Natural Resources and the Environment said that enterprises that have treated waste water which has quality five times worse than standard will not be supplied with water and electricity. Enterprises with treated waste water which has quality ten times below standard will be closed. Machinery and equipment that discharge waste will be seized.

Hepza’s Deputy Head Ngo Anh Tuan confirmed that many companies intentionally violate environmental rules. In Tan Phu Industrial Zone, 9 of 34 inspected enterprises didn’t have their waste water discharge systems connected to the zone’s waste water treatment factory, though the deadline for this task was February 28.

Hepza asked the local authorities to cut off their power until these companies connected the systems.

“Power cut is a strong solution, even stronger than forcing enterprises to temporarily close their factories. If they are closed temporarily, they can operate clandestinely. Without power, they cannot do anything. The HCM City People’s Committee has approved this measure,” Tuan said.

He said five of 26 enterprises have gotten off of the black list of polluters issued in October 2008.

V. Giang