The company has spent $33 million on waste water treatment devices.

The commitment was agreed in a meeting between the Dong Nai Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Viet Nam Environment Protection Administration (VEPA) and the General Director of the Vedan company on Thursday.

The company had paid more than VND127 billion (US$6.9 million) to the Viet Nam environmental protection fund and VND267 million as an administrative fine while spending more than $33 million on installation of devices to treat waste water before discharging to the river, VEPA head Bui Cac Tuyen said.

The company had also dismantled more than 2,200m of under ground pipe systems, four water pumps and three discharge tracts that ran into the river. Untreated waste has been redirected to a waste water treatment system.

The company had recently completed an upgrade of three waste water treatment systems with a total capacity of 4,000cu.m per day. Two extra treatment systems have also been constructed with an estimated capacity of 5,000cu.m per day.

According to VEPA, Vedan has reduced its MSG production down to 67 per cent while temporarily closing four of its factories to repair and upgrade their treatment systems.

The company maintains that it is committed to pay its 2,500 workers for factory closures and compensate farmers affected by the waste in the river.

VietNamNet/VNS