Need to invest in completing technical infrastructure to protect the environment in industrial parks

Checking wastewater treatment at rubber processing industrial production facilities - Photo: TN

In order for investment projects in industrial parks to operate smoothly, it is necessary to complete the technical infrastructure in industrial parks.

According to the initial survey, the capital demand for completing technical infrastructure at industrial parks in the province is more than 1,000 billion VND, but by the end of 2024, only 247 billion VND has been invested. Therefore, the infrastructure of industrial parks has not been fully invested, especially the technical infrastructure for environmental protection, including the system of collecting, storing, transporting, treating waste, environmental monitoring...

Up to now, the province only has Huong Tan Industrial Park and Ai Tu Industrial Park with a common wastewater treatment system, but the system is not operating effectively; wastewater from production facilities has not been collected and connected for treatment. There are many reasons leading to the situation where industrial parks come into operation without completing the technical infrastructure for environmental protection. This is because these enterprises have to invest in wastewater treatment systems at the facility, treat them to meet standards and then discharge them into the receiving environment, so the investment funds of enterprises are still limited.

On the other hand, the role and responsibility of the units managing industrial parks as well as management agencies in the environmental field are not high... Meanwhile, the requirement for production activities in industrial parks is to comply with the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, Decree 08/2022/ND-CP dated January 10, 2022 of the Government detailing the technical infrastructure for environmental protection of industrial parks.

Clause 1, Article 51 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 stipulates that industrial parks must complete environmental protection infrastructure no later than December 31, 2023, requiring facilities that are discharging treated wastewater into the rainwater collection and drainage system to stop this discharge before December 31, 2023; and complete the installation of a wastewater monitoring system no later than December 31, 2024.

Article 48 of Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP clearly states that environmental protection technical infrastructure must be arranged in accordance with investment types in industrial parks, ensuring to minimize negative impacts on the surrounding environment and must be built and completed before the facilities in the industrial parks come into operation; Point b, Clause 1, Article 49 of this Decree stipulates that no new projects or capacity increases for operating projects that generate wastewater in concentrated production, business and service areas or industrial parks shall be accepted in the following cases: new projects with business lines not included in the list of business lines permitted to attract investment in concentrated production, business and service areas or industrial parks; concentrated production, business and service areas or industrial parks do not have or do not meet one of the requirements for environmental protection infrastructure specified in Article 48 of this Decree.

In order to improve the effectiveness of state management of the environment in industrial zones in the province, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has promptly advised the Provincial People's Committee to strengthen state management of environmental protection; continue to invest in technical infrastructure and deploy solutions to manage and supervise environmental protection in industrial zones.

In which, the Center for Natural Resources and Environment Monitoring is assigned to organize natural resources and environment monitoring activities according to the managed monitoring network, operate the operating room to connect automatic and continuous monitoring data of the province. Continuously invest in technical infrastructure to serve environmental management and monitoring. Currently, the province has 1 central station located at the Center for Natural Resources and Environment Monitoring, 6 base stations at VTJ Toms Textile Co., Ltd., Quang Tri Town Wastewater Treatment Station, Huong Hoa Tapioca Starch Factory, An Thai Tapioca Starch Processing Joint Stock Company, Bim Son Cement Joint Stock Company - Quang Tri Branch.

Accordingly, actively organize the work of monitoring, receiving and managing automatic monitoring data continuously every month and in batches at central stations and base stations; urge facilities subject to automatic and continuous industrial emission monitoring and organize monitoring and review of the operation of automatic monitoring systems at facilities periodically once a year and suddenly when there are incidents.

In 2024 alone, natural resource and environmental monitoring was carried out at 190 locations. Through monitoring results, pollution cases were promptly detected and warned, providing information and data to serve environmental protection and socio-economic development in the locality.

Investment in environmental protection infrastructure at industrial parks is currently facing difficulties in capital investment. Depending on the scale of the industrial park area, the amount of wastewater generated, waste composition, wastewater treatment technology, the investment level in environmental protection infrastructure for each industrial park is different, estimated at 10-20 billion VND/industry. Meanwhile, the responsibility for investment in environmental protection infrastructure for industrial parks is carried out by the investor in the construction and business of industrial park infrastructure, so it has not been invested in a timely, synchronous and effective manner.

Therefore, to complete the technical infrastructure for environmental protection of industrial parks according to the provisions of law, it is necessary to investigate and evaluate the current status of wastewater discharge of production facilities in industrial parks, thereby proposing the scale and wastewater treatment technology suitable for each industrial park. For industrial parks with low occupancy rates, it is necessary to invest in wastewater treatment systems at each stage to improve treatment efficiency and avoid investment waste. Next, prioritize the allocation of capital to complete the technical infrastructure for environmental protection of industrial parks according to the roadmap prescribed by the Law on Environmental Protection 2020.

Implement socialization, attract investment in construction, business and operation of industrial park infrastructure; flexibly utilize capital sources to invest in technical infrastructure to protect the environment of industrial parks. Encourage and support investors in industrial park infrastructure to form joint ventures, associations and cooperation to build, do business and operate environmental protection infrastructure works at industrial parks in the direction of specializing in waste collection, transportation and treatment activities. Implement incentives and investment support for organizations and individuals participating in investment in construction, business and operation of environmental protection works at industrial parks.

The completion of the infrastructure of industrial parks in the province as well as the technical infrastructure for environmental protection is very urgent and needs to be implemented promptly and synchronously, so it requires strong direction from the Provincial People's Committee and close coordination between enterprises, local authorities and departments, branches and sectors in the province.

Tan Nguyen

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/can-dau-tu-hoan-thien-ha-tang-ky-thuat-bao-ve-moi-truong-o-cum-cong-nghiep-192505.htm