Faced with violations in the process of mineral exploitation and processing by a number of enterprises, Ha Tinh has strengthened inspection and strict handling, including closing mines and revoking mineral exploitation licenses.
VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company was granted a mineral exploitation license No. 1280/GP-UBND by the Provincial People's Committee on April 14, 2015 to exploit construction stone quarry in Hong Linh mountain, located in Dau Lieu ward (Hong Linh town) and Vuong Loc commune (Can Loc) with an area of 3.68 hectares, exploited reserves of 599,086 m3 of construction stone, 26,050 m3 of landfill. The exploitation period is 10 years (April 14, 2015 - April 14, 2025).
The quarry area is granted to VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company for exploitation.
However, during the process of exploiting the stone quarry in Hong Linh Mountain, VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company committed many violations. In particular, in 2019, the interdisciplinary inspection team of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment inspected and discovered that this unit was exploiting minerals not in accordance with the mine design. Based on the violation records, the Inspectorate of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment issued a decision to impose an administrative fine of VND 80 million.
In early July 2023, through inspection, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment continued to discover that VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company had exploited beyond the boundaries of the permitted surface and depth mining areas. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspectorate continued to impose administrative fines on this enterprise with a total amount of 103 million VND.
During the exploitation process, VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company committed a number of violations and did not fully fulfill its financial obligations.
In addition, VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company is also "slow" in paying mineral exploitation rights, resource tax, and environmental protection fees in mineral activities. Accordingly, by 2022, the enterprise still owes more than 7.1 billion VND (4.547 billion VND in resource tax, 2.092 billion VND in environmental protection fee, and 491 million VND in mineral exploitation rights). Although the Provincial People's Committee has issued a document requesting the company to pay taxes and fees in mineral exploitation. However, by early July 2023, this enterprise has only paid 5.071 billion VND, still owing 2.059 billion VND (967 million VND in resource tax and 1.092 billion VND in environmental protection fee).
Faced with these violations and shortcomings, based on the proposal of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2000/QD-UBND dated August 26 on revoking and terminating the validity of the mineral exploitation license granted to VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company (exploiting construction stone mines located in two areas: Dau Lieu ward - Hong Linh town and Vuong Loc commune - Can Loc district).
Along with VN1 Industrial Group Joint Stock Company, on July 11, the Provincial People's Committee also issued Decision No. 1638/QD-UBND on revoking and terminating the validity of mineral exploitation license No. 536/GP-UBND dated February 8, 2021 issued to Cuong Truong Company Limited.
This company was granted a mineral exploitation license by the Provincial People's Committee to exploit the Thanh My village land mine, Thuong Loc commune with an exploitation area of 1.7 hectares, exploitation reserves of 199,733 m3 , and an exploitation period of 3.5 years.
The Provincial People's Committee has also revoked and terminated the mineral exploitation license granted to Cuong Truong Company Limited to exploit land for landfill in Thanh My village, Thuong Loc commune, Can Loc district.
During the exploitation process, the enterprise has not completed the land lease dossier for the mineral exploitation area, does not ensure the conditions for exploitation activities according to the regulations specified in the mineral exploitation investment project, mine design, and is late in paying the deposit for environmental restoration.
Despite being fined more than VND100 million by the Provincial Police Department of Environmental Police and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspectorate and being required to remedy the above shortcomings, limitations and violations, the enterprise has not fully complied. Up to now, the unit has not ensured the conditions for mineral exploitation activities and has not fulfilled related financial obligations as prescribed. As of March 15, it still owes the State budget and environmental deposit of VND366 million.
In recent times, violations in mineral exploitation activities have been strictly handled by the authorities.
Not only the two above-mentioned units, in the past time, violations in mineral exploitation activities of units and enterprises have also been strictly handled by Ha Tinh authorities. Mr. Tran Huu Tinh - Head of Minerals Department (Department of Natural Resources and Environment) said: From 2022 to present, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has inspected the compliance with the provisions of the law on minerals at 54 mines of 52 mining units in the whole province. During the exploitation process, some units still have shortcomings and limitations such as not fulfilling financial obligations in mineral exploitation; not installing weighing stations at the location of taking raw minerals out of the mining area; exploiting beyond the capacity; exploiting beyond the boundary of the permitted mining area; using accompanying minerals without permission from the state management agency or not completing the documents and procedures to organize mining activities in the mine area..."
Some units have not installed weighing stations at the location where raw minerals are taken out of the mining area.
Based on the inspection results and violations of the mineral exploitation units, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has imposed administrative penalties on 11 units, with a total fine of nearly 700 million VND. Of these, 2 units were not operating in accordance with the approved mine design, 4 units were operating in excess of the permitted capacity, 3 units were operating beyond the boundaries of the permitted exploitation area, and 2 units were operating and using accompanying minerals (filling land) without permission from the state management agency as prescribed.
Mining activities in the province have gradually become routine. Mineral exploitation units have consciously invested in management and organization of mining activities in accordance with the law.
In the coming time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will continue to coordinate with departments, branches and localities where there are mining areas to guide and urge mineral exploitation units to implement and strictly comply with the provisions of the law on minerals and other relevant laws. At the same time, it will strengthen inspection and examination to promptly detect, prevent, correct and handle violations of the law by mineral exploitation units and also grasp the difficulties and problems of enterprises in the process of implementing the provisions of the law to advise and propose to perfect policies and laws to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in the field of mineral exploitation.
Jiangnan
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