Dangerous levels of untreated waste in water samples

Điện Biên Province’s Environmental Police Department reports content of untreated waste in the Hồng Diệp–Điện Biên Starch JSC’s pond exceeded the national standard dozens of times. — Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI — The content of untreated waste in a pond at a company in the norwestern province of Điện Biên exceeded national standards dozens of times, said the provincial Environmental Police Department.

Local media reported on January  一 四 and  一 五 that hundreds of cubic metres of wastewater flowed into the Nậm Núa Stream after a waste tank, belonging to a cassava starch-processing factory of Hồng Diệp–Điện Biên Starch JSC, cracked open, polluting the stream with a foul-smelling dark liquid and killing hundreds of fish.   

According to the detailed report of the police department, wastewater samples that were collected from the pond had solids exceeding the national standards on wastewater by more than  五 八 times, while chemical oxygen demand (COD) and cyanide exceeded  八. 一 六 times and three times respectively against permitted standards, reported e-newspaper vov.vn. 

Samples of water collected from Nậm Núa Stream’s downstream ( 六km from the factory) showed the content of solids exceeded the national technical standards on surface water  五. 二 times, while COD and cyanide exceeded  二 二 times and  一. 二 四 times respectively against the allowed standard. 

To handle the violations, the provincial People’s Co妹妹ittee has requested the provincial Department of Planning and Investment to urgently organise an inter-sector inspection team to collect sufficient evidence and documents against the company.

Its task is to inspect and review the investment and building process of the starch-processing factory. 

The result of the inspection has to be reported to the provincial People’s Co妹妹ittee before January  三0. — VNS