Move production facilities out of residential areas

Maintaining production and economic development among the people is an essential need, but with the development of society, pollution or impacts in the middle of urban areas and residential areas need to be gradually eliminated. Accordingly, Thanh Hoa province has recognized and issued a project to relocate production facilities to concentrated areas according to the roadmap.

In the province, there are hundreds of carpentry establishments in residential areas, causing noise pollution and fine dust affecting human health. In the photo: Carpentry production in Hoang Son commune (Hoang Hoa).

Residential areas everywhere are affected.

In Dong Huong Ward ( Thanh Hoa City), half of Nguyen Tinh Street, from Le Loi Avenue to the North, is only about 1km long, there are dozens of production facilities of all kinds located among the residential area. At house numbers 417 and 321, not far from each other, there are 2 facilities that purchase and classify scrap. Not needing to count the small alleys, on this main road there are also 6 vermicelli production facilities operating year-round in the residential area. Here, the vermicelli production facility at house number 115 is always bustling, excess water from this production facility often overflows, wetting a section of the road. About 20m away, Mr. Le Ngoc Cuong's production facility at house number 109 also operates year-round. The vermicelli production facilities have a characteristic sour smell and unpleasant odor, and wastewater is discharged directly into the environment without being treated. According to Mr. Cuong, in this Phan Dinh Phung neighborhood, there are up to 1/2 of the households producing vermicelli, because that is the main occupation.

In Thanh Hoa city, in the suburban ward of Quang Phu, in just 2 neighborhoods 6 and 9 alone, there are currently 4 pig farms and 1 generator repair facility, 1 precast concrete pile manufacturing enterprise, 3 forest product processing and wooden furniture manufacturing enterprises... All of them more or less cause pollution, noise, affect the surrounding living environment, and are all developing without planning. More dangerously, in Phu Luu 1 neighborhood of Quang Thang ward, there are 9 medium and large-scale stone cladding enterprises and facilities that have existed for many years. Noise, stone powder emissions and the production process all have negative impacts on the surrounding environment. In residential areas in the inner city, there are hundreds of spontaneously developed production facilities such as carpentry workshops, livestock farms, slaughterhouses, plastic recycling, paper production, mechanics... Most of the facilities do not ensure distance, cause pollution in many forms, and develop without planning...

According to the report, in the whole province there are currently 826 production and business establishments operating in urban areas and residential areas that cause environmental pollution, or have the risk of causing environmental pollution. The most are the following types of production: Raising livestock and poultry with 342 establishments; processing of sawn stone and cladding stone 190 establishments; processing of forest products, production of wooden furniture, civil carpentry 109 establishments; purchasing, recycling scrap, washing packaging 75 establishments; producing vermicelli 26 establishments; slaughtering livestock and poultry 30 establishments; mechanical processing 19 establishments; producing unburnt bricks 14 establishments... Some other types of production such as silk reeling, weaving, processing of animal feed, repairing cars, trading coal... also affect the surrounding living environment.

These polluting production facilities are concentrated in Thanh Hoa City, Sam Son City, Nghi Son Town, Bim Son Town and the following districts: Yen Dinh, Tho Xuan, Trieu Son, Dong Son, Nga Son, Hau Loc, Ha Trung, Hoang Hoa, Thieu Hoa, Ba Thuoc, Lang Chanh, Thach Thanh, Quan Son, Vinh Loc, Quang Xuong. Through the survey, most of the facilities operate spontaneously on residential land of households, on land planned for residential and urban areas... with narrow production areas, not ensuring environmental safety distance, using outdated technology, manual labor.

Need to join hands to relocate

According to the survey data of the sectors and localities compiled for the Provincial People's Committee, among 826 production facilities causing pollution in urban and residential areas, 700 facilities (accounting for 84.74%) do not invest in waste treatment facilities or are rudimentary, substandard, and do not operate regularly. Waste that has not been collected and thoroughly treated is directly discharged, causing environmental pollution, affecting the lives and activities of surrounding people.

That is the reason why recently there have been many petitions and reports from people to the authorities about environmental pollution caused by the above establishments. Through verification, it has been shown that most of the production establishments in the residential areas do not have records and procedures on the environment, the quality of air, noise, and wastewater before discharge still have many indicators exceeding the permitted standards many times. Overcoming the on-site pollution situation of production establishments and households has encountered many difficulties, due to limited land funds, limited funding that cannot meet the requirements for building waste treatment facilities, and limited awareness of compliance with the law on environmental protection... The reflection through petitions and regular hotlines of households shows that the frustrations in the environmental pollution caused by these establishments need to be resolved decisively.

Pursuant to Conclusion No. 2351-KL/TU dated April 18, 2023 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, at the end of April 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued the Project "Relocating polluting production facilities out of urban areas and residential areas in Thanh Hoa province by 2030", setting out the implementation time with each specific roadmap.

Each relevant department, branch, unit at the provincial level and localities has been assigned tasks according to its functions to implement many solutions according to the project's objectives. Accordingly, by 2025, the whole province will complete the classification of establishments causing environmental pollution in urban areas and residential areas. From there, develop a plan to relocate or convert industries, reduce capacity or stop operations depending on the level of pollution. At the same time, review and adjust land use planning to arrange concentrated production areas to ensure sufficient conditions to receive establishments in the relocation plan. In the 2026-2027 period, the province plans to relocate all or convert industries of establishments causing environmental pollution, establishments that are not in accordance with the planning, and do not ensure environmental safety distances in wards of urban areas from type IV and above. In the 2028-2030 period, the remaining establishments causing environmental pollution will be completely resolved.

Also according to the project, the locations receiving the relocated facilities are industrial parks, industrial clusters, concentrated production areas in the same area or neighboring areas, ensuring that the industries are consistent with the approved planning or the new locations are approved by competent authorities to implement the project.

The province has also made a specific plan, in the 2026-2027 period, 110 facilities will be relocated and their capacity will be reduced, along with completing waste treatment facilities for 25 facilities. In the 2028-2030 period, 565 facilities will be relocated or converted to other industries...

Although there are many difficulties ahead such as land fund for planning concentrated production areas, people mobilization work, support capital... but if there is determination and high responsibility from all parties, the mission will be successful.

Article and photos: Linh Truong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/dua-co-so-san-xuat-khoi-khu-dan-cu-lo-trinh-cho-phat-trien-ben-vung-225390.htm