In both cases, the units involved and the relevant agencies have a very condemnable attitude, which is to avoid, speak softly or evade when public opinion speaks. Rang Dong Company, People’s Committee of Thanh Xuan District and Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment initially said that there was no liquid mercury, but replaced it with amalgam when producing light bulbs in 2016, but after the Vietnam Environment Administration “struggled” and checked the reality, up to 480,000 fluorescent bulbs burned using liquid mercury. It is especially noteworthy that Rang Dong company reported 15 kg of mercury used, but after the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology got involved, it was found that there was an anomaly in the above number and attributed the amount of mercury in the “fire zone” to 27 kg, not as the number reported by this company. Next, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also assessed this as an unsafe chemical fire and explosion, with many unsafe parameters exceeding the allowable threshold, posing a risk to the environment and to human health. After the relevant agencies spoke up, people reacted fiercely, even many households had to leave their homes to live elsewhere and the public vehemently condemned for that cover-up, Rang Dong company just issued an apology to the community!
Next, the spill of dirty oil with a volume of tons of raw water source of Song Da Clean Water Plant (Ky Son District, Hoa Binh) from October 9, causing pollution to the clean water supply to Hanoi people, Song Da Clean Water Investment Joint Stock Company (Viwasupco) also “used the guise of concealment” by silently increasing the amount of treatment chemicals. When people discovered a strong smell of chemicals in the water source and reacted strongly on a large scale, the general director of Viwasupco said succinctly: “I think it’s just the smell of chlorine” (Thanh Nien newspaper on October 15) and said that the company’s internal water quality meets the standards of the Ministry of Health (?!).
The writer has not mentioned the problem of the quality of water supply to the people and how to handle the actions of the relevant agencies, because we have to wait for the test results and the voice of this incident. But the way that Viwasupco tried to hire dozens of people to pick up oil scum from the watersheds, pay a daily salary, which is to “clean the grass, clear the stream”, and then hastily justify it in a fashion. like “no problem”, while the public is “fever” and while the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hoa Binh province is testing water samples, the public thinks that this company is deliberately covering up an incident. environment, also nothing is heavy!
When an environmental incident occurs, it is necessary to issue a warning to people in the affected area to prevent or avoid it, which is a civilized and professional manner. With the two cases cited above, it is very critical and it is thought that if it is discovered that the intentional concealment is discovered, it is necessary to take strict measures to prevent such a situation from happening again in the future.
The safety and health of the people must be put first, which is a criterion that any progressive society should pay attention to!
