Rubber, Plastic Recycling Threatens Environment

(PNA/VNS) — Thousands of people in northern provinces of Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh earn money by recycling plastic and tires to produce diesel oil, regardless of environment pollution and health risks.

The residents of Kim Chinh commune in Kim Son District, Ninh Binh Province, have continuously complained about environment pollution caused by the recycling of used tires to produce oil and by oil recycled manufacturing plants of Kim Chinh Brick Joint Stock Company in the region.

A village resident said that it took time to get used to the smell of burnt rubber tires. He also has difficulty in breathing.

The Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported that water sources in the region have also been affected because the plants’ tanks that collect wastes generated during oil processing have been built near riversides and the water system of many local households. Apart from this, waste flows into the river whenever it rains and seriously contaminates the water resource.

Elsewhere, residents in Nam Truc District’s Nghia An commune in Nam Dinh Province also face similar problems.

The oil recycling activities of Tung Duong Co Ltd has harmed the region.

Many residents here have breathing difficulties caused by an unpleasant odor that emanates from the chimneys of oil burners.

To find a solution to the problem, the representative of the Ministry of National Resources and Environment met with Tung Duong Company officials on May 14. However, there has not been any report on solutions decided upon during the meeting.

Do Lang Con, head of the health-care center in Nghia An Commune, said that before 2010, each year some two to three persons died of cancer; later, the number of cancer deaths increased rapidly in the commune.

Deaths from cancer

In 2012, 11 people died of cancer and in 2013-14, this figure went up to 14. Also, the number of patients with respiratory and skin diseases increased at an alarming rate. On average, some 200 cases are reported every month, Con stated.

He noted that the commune does not have enough facilities to measure and determine pollution levels. However, according to Con, smoke and waste water generated during waste oil recycling by Tung Duong Company have contributed to illnesses in the region. (PNA/VNS) JBP/EBP