Environment Minister: bauxite projects are safe

VietNamNet Bridge – “I’ve met with the working group that had just returned from Hungary and now I’m very assured to tell the National Assembly that the ongoing bauxite projects are very safe,” said Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen on November 22.

Though he was not the cabinet member who was scheduled to answer deputies’ questions yesterday afternoon Nguyen smoothly answered all the questions when he was requested to by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.

Minister Nguyen said that people can rest assured about the safety of the bauxite projects in terms of technology, experience and weather adaptation.

According to him, a working group went to Hungary to study all the aspect the red mud spill. The technology used in Hungary dated back to the 1940s while Vietnam will use the most advanced technology in the world.

Hungary’s red mud reservoirs were built on a weak ground. Its walls were built by slag concrete and didn’t have a solid base so the risk was very high. Vietnam chooses the most modern technology so the pressure in the reservoir is four times lower than that in Hungary.

“Hungary didn’t anticipate acccidents but we have estimated them. Deputy Nguyen Lan Dung’s worries about acts of sabotage or other accidents with the reservoir have been considered,” Nguyen said.

He said the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment and relevant agencies have performed surveys on earthquakes, environment, and safety for red mud reservoirs in the Central Highlands. Based on the surveys, “I can confirm that these projects are implemented safely,” Nguyen said.

In the morning, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang was also questioned about the bauxite projects.

Deputy Vu Quang Hai from Hung Yen asked about the supply of power for the bauxite projects as statistics show that shortage of power will continue. “How do you defendthe economic effectiveness of the bauxite projects when experts said that they can only be effective if they are located where water and electricity are abundant?”

Hoang said that the locations of two bauxite projects were approved by the Politburo. “Economically, statistics show that if bauxite plants are based in coastal areas, they will work more effectively than in the Central Highlands. But we have to consider social and political aspects, etc,” he said.

“In the current situation, if the plants are located in the coastal region, shortage of power is still an issue,” Hoang added.

Deputy Nguyen Lan Dung asked the Minister to make clear his ministry’s commitment that absorption resistance techniques for red mud reservoirs is absolutely safe, Minister Hoang said sorry to deputy Dung because this is a technical issue.

He said he would consult experts and answer the question later.

Dung raised another question related to the bauxite projects. “Investment in building roads for the bauxite projects is huge. Do you believe in the efficiency of the project? You said that we can grow industrial trees and develop ecological and cultural tourism to compensate for the investment. But the soil in the Central Highlands consists of basalt and this region is remote so how can we develop cultural tourism there?”

Minister Hoang confirmed that the bauxite projects are national projects so the safety must be higher than in other cases.