Le Minh Chuan, the deputy general director of the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), said that improving the environment in coal mining areas is one of the major tasks of the coal sector.
In the past years, Vinacomin has carried out many activities to contribute to improving the environment in coal mining areas. The group did and is relocating many production facilities from the center of the city of Ha Long.
To protect the environment in residential areas and urban landscapes, Vinacomin has improved dumping sites and planted trees to create more green space.
The group has decided to invest more than VND100 billion in activities to improve the environment, especially water resources. Water in reservoirs in Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh is not only used for industrial purposes but is also treated to be usable for washing and in the future, it will be treated to become usable for people's everyday lives.
Doan Van Kien, the general director of Vinacomin, said that the group requires its member-units to be serious in implementing environmental protection programs and to make periodic reports on environmental impact assessments. Since 1997 the group has successfully carried out forestation activities and as a result, in the time period from 1997 to 2008, Vinacomin contributed considerably to increasing the rate of forest coverage to 48 percent.
In the past years, Vinacomin has been very active in developing environmentally friendly technologies. It has successfully used hydraulic pillars in coal mining and used ANFO explosive instead of TNT. Advanced methods and accessories have been used to restrict seism when exploding mines. New peat filtering equipment has been used to save water during the process of coal sifting.
Vinacomin has proposed to the Government and taken some measures to ensure sustainable development of the coal sector. One of the successful proposals is to build thermoelectric plants using low-quality coal that contains much sulfur to save natural coal resources and minimize adverse impacts on the environment. The Government has allowed Vinacomin to build some thermoelectric plants of this kind such as Na Duong (in Lang Son province), Cao Ngan (Thai Nguyen), and Cam Pha, Mao Khe (Quang Ninh). These thermoelectric plants use the CFB (circulation fluidized boiler) technology that helps minimize dust and waste gas emissions.
The leadership of Vinacomin considers environmental protection to be one of the group's objectives. Its member companies have taken serious measures to protect the environment, for example building exclusive ways for coal transportation and planning small-sized dumping sites. Vinacomin and its members are committed to making further efforts to minimize environmental pollution, protect water resources and restore the natural landscapes in coal mining areas.
Vinacomin hopes that it will be a good example in the field of environmental protection.