Blocking the factory's discharge pipe to collect debt

Long An: A seafood factory in Duc Hoa district had its waste discharge pipe blocked by the industrial park investor for a month for "not paying infrastructure maintenance fees".

On August 22, a representative of Thuan Thien Production - Trading Company Limited said that the company has rented land in Tan Duc Industrial Park since 2006. In March this year, the company signed a wastewater treatment contract with the investor, Tan Duc Company (under Tan Tao Group), and paid the full fee every month.

Authorities intervened to clear the sewage and rainwater discharge lines on August 21. Photo: Nam An

However, on July 21, the investor used concrete to block the company's wastewater pipe. Because the seafood processing unit discharged a lot of wastewater, the blocked pipe affected production and posed a risk of environmental pollution. Negotiations with the investor failed, so Thuan Thien Company called for help from the authorities.

The Long An Economic Zone Management Board and related units met twice with the parties to handle the case. A representative of Tan Duc Company said that in addition to wastewater fees, the industrial park also has infrastructure maintenance fees. Thuan Thien Company has repeatedly evaded paying this fee, forcing the investor to disconnect the wastewater pipeline belonging to the infrastructure system under its management.

At the meetings, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the province stated that based on the signed contract between the parties, Thuan Thien Company did not violate the wastewater treatment contract. Therefore, this department, together with the Environmental Crime Prevention Police - Provincial Police, requested Tan Duc Company to reopen the wastewater treatment connection pipeline, no later than August 15.

However, the investor continued to block the Thuan Thien Company's rainwater drainage system. Due to the unsafe working environment, on the morning of August 21, more than 100 workers of Thuan Thien Company stopped working and gathered in front of Tan Duc Company's gate to protest.

Many workers at Thuan Thien Company stopped working to protest the blockage of the waste discharge line. Photo: Nam An

Mr. Le Truong Chinh, Head of the Economic Zone Management Board of Long An province, said that after the authorities mobilized, by noon the wastewater system and rainwater at Thuan Thien Company had been cleared again.

The government has asked Tan Duc Company not to stop providing essential services such as electricity and water, which could cause resentment leading to lawsuits; and to publicly disclose infrastructure management fees for businesses to know.

A representative of Thuan Thien Company said that they have filed a lawsuit against Tan Duc Company, requesting compensation for damages caused by blocked wastewater sewers, affecting production.

Tan Duc Industrial Park has about 200 operating businesses, nearly 19,000 workers. In March 2016, Tan Duc Company dumped rocks and soil, barricaded the gate and cut off water supply to a business for a week because it believed that this unit did not pay infrastructure maintenance fees. The authorities then had to intervene to rescue it.

In February this year, due to a dispute over unpaid infrastructure costs, the management unit of Tan Tao Industrial Park (belonging to Tan Tao Group) in Binh Tan District (HCMC) used a fire truck to block the gate of a factory to collect debt.

Nam An

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