Currently, the air quality and environment in the immediate surroundings of a bulb factory which caught fire in late August are at a safe level in accordance with Vietnamese and international standards, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha said at an international workshop in Hanoi on September 12.
An overview of the workshop. Photo: Nguyen Ngan
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The Hanoi People's Committee, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, together with a number of relevant units have taken many measures to control and assess the issue. In particular, relevant agencies are constantly monitoring environmental parameters to make them public, Ha said.
He added that Rang Dong JSC’s chemical warehouse did not catch fire, and the burnt materials were mainly light bulbs, thus the amount of mercury released from the burned down factory can be determined.
The minister affirmed that from August 30 onward, air quality has gradually improved. Air quality parameters are now safe and the chemical values in the air have been reduced.
Relevant units start the fire debris removal work in Rang Dong JSC. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn
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However, Ha also noted that the fire residues in the factory must be treated in accordance with regulations. So far, the authorities have carried out isolation and decontamination for the alerted areas.
The minister added that the environmental agencies will deploy solutions to thoroughly handle the aftermath of the fire. Currently, Japan has also sent experts to assess the fire.
Answering the question “if the environment around Rang Dong JSC's factory is safe, why does it need to be cleaned?” Environmental expert Dao Nhat Dinh said the soil, water and air environment are safe, but the cleanup focuses on the fire’s remnants which may contain unburnt mercury.
Vietnam’s Chemical Army, the Hanoi's Environment Protection Authority under the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Urban and Industrial Environment JSC 10 (URENCO 10) on Thursday started working out the detoxification plan for Rang Dong JSC’s warehouse, Dinh noted.
