In a recent report to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ha Tinh continued to request the Politburo, the Government, the Prime Minister and central ministries and branches to soon consider terminating the Thach Khe iron ore mining and processing project.
According to information from the Department of Planning and Investment, implementing the request document of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ha Tinh reported to the Ministry of Planning and Investment on handling difficulties and obstacles that have existed for many years in key projects that are ineffective and behind schedule. Previously, on October 3, 2023, the Ministry of Planning and Investment sent the Provincial People's Committee Document No. 8176/BKHĐT-PTHTĐT on handling difficulties and obstacles that have existed for many years in important national projects and key projects that are ineffective and behind schedule.
Construction site of Thach Khe iron mine cover layer stripping ( September 2010).
Receiving the document from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Planning and Investment to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to review and synthesize reports on important national projects and key projects that are ineffective and behind schedule.
According to a leader of Thach Ha district: Implementing the document of the Provincial People's Committee, the district has assigned relevant departments and branches to specifically evaluate, analyze the data and report to the Department of Planning and Investment. In the report, the district proposed to stop the Thach Khe iron ore mining and processing project due to inefficiency, slow progress and many socio-economic impacts. In parallel, in the past, the district has also studied many contents to propose investment in infrastructure projects and implement support policies for communes in the mining area because the impact here is too great.
The lives of people in the Thach Khe iron mine project area are being seriously affected.
Based on the review of Thach Ha district and the opinions of relevant departments and branches, the Department of Planning and Investment reported to the Provincial People's Committee and the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The report clearly stated important issues related to the Thach Khe iron ore mining and processing project.
This project is invested by Thach Khe Iron Joint Stock Company (TIC). The project is located in 5 communes of Thach Ha district (Thach Hai, Thach Khe, Dinh Ban, Thach Tri and Thach Lac). The mine reserves and resources are 554 million tons. Total investment after adjustment: 14,517.2 billion VND. Total land use area: 4,821 hectares, including 3,898 hectares inland and 923 hectares reclaimed from the sea. The area that TIC has signed a land lease contract for is 552 hectares.
In the vast area of the mine, it is not difficult to come across unsafe houses due to a long period of not being repaired or rebuilt.
In December 2008, TIC conducted a technology test stripping with a volume of 1.5 million m3 and oriented the construction technology. In March 2009, TIC continued stripping the topsoil to a depth of -34m, with a volume of 12.7 million m3 as of July 2011, recovering 3 thousand tons of iron ore.
TIC has also coordinated with the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province to build resettlement areas, cemeteries, some inter-regional infrastructure works, clear land, build some works (housing, factories, electricity supply, drainage, environmental protection, mine clearance), purchase some equipment, investigate and survey additional geological documents of mines.
However, from August 2011 to now, the project has stopped implementation.
Many residential roads in the Thach Khe iron mine planning area have not been invested in.
A leader of the Department of Planning and Investment said: Based on specific assessments, Ha Tinh found that the implementation of the Thach Khe Iron Mine Project was very slow and had been stopped for 12 years with insignificant volume and results. At the same time, the project implementation process has caused many problems affecting people's lives such as compensation, site clearance, resettlement... that have not been resolved, causing many difficulties in socio-economic development in the locality.
According to the report sent to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, many issues related to the Thach Khe iron mine exploitation project were analyzed quite specifically. Accordingly, the project had shortcomings in the order and procedures for investment, construction, and mining; the level of research on hydrogeological and engineering geological conditions; mining technology and processing technology were not suitable for the geological characteristics of the mine, did not ensure reliability, and lacked feasibility. The project had many potential risks, unsafety, and environmental incidents that could occur during implementation.
Along with the unsynchronized transportation system, many mining areas have not yet invested in irrigation systems (Photo taken in Dinh Ban commune).
At the same time, other issues of the project were also raised with many difficulties and obstacles such as: the method of transporting ore is difficult to implement, low efficiency, greatly affecting the province's transport infrastructure system; the iron ore consumption market is uncertain; the project implementation process has left many consequences. In particular, if implemented, the project will greatly affect tens of thousands of workers in the mining area and neighboring areas related to the issue of job loss, income, affecting the socio-economy of the localities.
The termination of the project will ensure environmental issues, especially the environment along the central coastal strip; will not pose risks, environmental consequences, natural disasters that can seriously threaten life, investment environment, marine environment; protect resources until conditions are met for effective exploitation; contribute to implementing the policy and development orientation of building a green economy, circular economy, and environmentally friendly according to the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party.
The department of receiving and returning administrative transaction results of Dinh Ban commune is degraded.
Based on a comprehensive and objective assessment, considering many aspects both in the short and long term, Ha Tinh respectfully requests the Politburo, the Government, the Prime Minister and central ministries and branches to promptly consider terminating the Thach Khe Iron Ore Mining and Selection Project to overcome the impacts and consequences left after 12 years of project suspension.
This is also an important condition for Ha Tinh to have the conditions to effectively use and promote its strengths in developing the marine economy and marine tourism; at the same time, have a plan to protect the country's resources until there are sufficient conditions in terms of science, technology, and resources to exploit them safely and ensure economic - social - environmental efficiency, properly implementing the sustainable development policy according to Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW dated February 10, 2022 of the Politburo.
Thach Hai beach will be a prominent destination attracting tourists from near and far if Thach Khe iron mine is stopped (Photo: Dinh Nhat).
Along with the above report, recently, within the framework of the 6th Session of the 15th National Assembly, at the group discussion session on the morning of October 24, comrade Hoang Trung Dung - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Ha Tinh province and members of the delegation continued to request the Government to soon submit a plan on the Thach Khe iron ore mining and processing project in the direction of stopping mining.
Delegates attending the meeting discussed and agreed to propose support contents for communes in the planning area of the Thach Khe iron mine project.
In another development, in response to the impact of this key project on the communes in the mining area, on the afternoon of October 25, the People's Committee of Thach Ha district organized a meeting to seek opinions on the proposal to invest in infrastructure projects and implement support policies for the communes in the planning area of the Thach Khe iron ore mining and processing project. This is a necessary task to solve the immediate difficulties, while the Central Government has not yet had an answer about this key project.
VTV1 report on Thach Khe iron ore mining and processing project.
Trung Dan
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