A man repairs a fishing boat in Vinh Thanh commune of Phu Vang district, Thua Thien-Hue province (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Support for people affected by themarine environment incident in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh,Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue in early 2016 will be expanded under a recentdecision by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.Decision 2124/QD-TTg amends and supplements somecontents of the PM’s Decision 12/QD-TTg, issued on January 6, 2017, whichapproved the plan assessing damage to compensate, support, recover productionand ensure social welfare for affected residents in the four localities.It stipulates that support for the targetedgroup to buy health insurance will last for a maximum of 24 months ascalculated from the date of insurance purchase, but not later than December 31,2019.Earlier, the aid provision is stipulated to bein two years at maximum, from January 1, 2017 to December 2018.Persons enrolling on vocational or juniorcollege courses will … [Read more...] about More time given to support marine pollution victims in central region
Pollution
MONRE designs special policy for polluting facilities
VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) is drafting a plan to maintain special control of units likely to cause pollution in 16 production fields and 28 industrial facilities. MONRE plans to maintain special control of units likely to cause pollution Deputy general director of the Vietnam Environment Agency (VEA), Hoang Van Thuc, said after the marine environment scandal on the central coast, MONRE found it necessary to set up a list of industrial facilities with the high possibility of causing pollution like Formosa. Experts said Vietnam laid out the red carpet to welcome investors but did not pay appropriate attention to environmental protection. Nguyen Ngoc Ly, director of the Center for Environmental and Community Research, while hailing the significance of the plan, questioned the technical methods to control the companies’ actions. RELATED NEWS Water pollution from coffee production plagues … [Read more...] about MONRE designs special policy for polluting facilities
New Delhi pollution hits dangerous level
During the final days of 2017, in parts of New Delhi the air quality far exceeded the maximum safe level, standing at 1,095 on the AQI scale. Anything above 400 on this scale is considered “severe”.Doctors say breathing in such a polluted environment is equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day and can cause severe lung ailments. Conditions have forced city administrators to close schools and ban trucks from entering the city.Air pollution is considered the main cause of cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular problems, acute respiratory ailments, and premature birth. The Indian government has warned people to wear breathing masks, use air purifiers, avoid going outside, and eat more nutritious food. The air quality in Delhi remains stuck in the 'very poor' category. Experts say each city dweller should use 5 medical oxygen cylinders a day to ensure health. A number of measures have been applied to curb the air pollution in New Delhi. These include banning diesel … [Read more...] about New Delhi pollution hits dangerous level
Air pollution at alarming rate in HCM City
Smog that has appeared frequently in Ho Chi Minh City, with the most recent recorded on January 3 morning, shows that local air pollution is now at an alarming level, an expert has said. Frequent smog in HCM City shows that local air pollution is now at an alarming level The warning was made by Ho Quoc Bang, head of the air pollution and climate change division at the Institute for Environment and Natural Resources under the Vietnam National University – HCM City, at a discussion on January 3. He said traffic, construction and industrial activities are the main causes of air pollution in cities. Traffic activities discharge nearly 85 percent of the total carbon monoxide emissions and many other hazardous substances. Air pollution at construction sites is five or six times higher than the standard. These activities also produce noise that worsens air pollution. The Centre of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) said its analyses show that HCM City … [Read more...] about Air pollution at alarming rate in HCM City
From 2018, polluters will be jailed for up to 7 years: penal code
Individuals caught polluting the environment in Vietnam are to be subject to jail terms, instead of merely cash fines, this year as the Penal Code has been amended to become more stringent to this offense. From January 1, people found guilty of dumping waste to cause damage to the environment will be fined up to VND3 billion (US$132,159) or jailed for up to seven years, according to the amended Vietnamese 2015 Penal Code. The previous law, the 2009 Penal Code, did stipulate that owners of manufacturing facilities or businesses could be criminally charged if they cause “severe or particularly serious consequences” to the environment. However, the 2009 law did not provide any specific parameters to determine the severity of an offense. “As it was impossible to rule that a business has severely polluted the environment, most of the individuals responsible were able to avoid criminal charges,” Hoang Van Thuc, deputy head of the General Department of Environment, … [Read more...] about From 2018, polluters will be jailed for up to 7 years: penal code