Bauxite mining projects: continue or stop?

The bauxite mining projects in Vietnam raise controversy again after the red mud spill in Hungary. VietNamNet summarises the opinions of experts and officials.

Duong Viet Hoa, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Group (Vinacomin): it is unnecessary to stop bauxite mining projects

Hoa said that the incident in Hungary is the first of its kind in the world and Vietnam should not cancel the bauxite mining projects because of this accident.

“We have no comments about the proposed cancellation of the bauxite projects in the Central Highlands. But it is very clear that if the projects are canceled, we will suffer great losses because of the total $600 million of investment, over $400 million has been disbursed,” Hoa told Tuoi Tre Daily.

“I think it is unnecessary to stop the projects because we have had plans to guarantee environmental safety,” he added.

“Anyway, the incident in Hungary is a warning and we need to continue the research to enhance safety measures, not to cancel the projects,” Hoa said.

Hoa also remarked that the scales of bauxite projects are not big and the projects have been researched for several decades.

According to him, investment in the construction of red mud reservoirs is $30-50 million in the first stage (over 10 years), which accounts for a large part of the total investment. A reputed Chinese institute is in charge of designing the reservoirs and Australian experts will supervise the construction.

Prof. Chu Hao, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, director of Tri Thuc (Knowledge) Publishing House: The earlier bauxite projects are canceled, the lesser the loss incurrs for the country

Prof. Chu Hao is one of nearly 2000 intellectuals who signed the letter on bauxite mining projects, which was sent to the Party, the State and the Government last week.

Hao said that the red mud spill in Hungary is the best reason for Vietnam to cancel its bauxite mining projects.

“The Alliance of Vietnam Science and Technology Associations will conduct independent research works on bauxite projects in the Central Highlands and organize seminars to share its findings,” he said.

“We expect Vinacomin to make public its scientific reports for open and healthy discussions. Through open discussions, the public will raise their knowledge and awareness to judge who is right and who is wrong,” Hao proposed.

Dr. Nguyen Quang A, former director of the Institute for Research and Development:

“This is not the right time for being concerned about the possible losses over cancellation of bauxite projects. We have sufficient economic and technical facts to prove that the more we invest in these projects, the bigger loss we will suffer,” he said.

“If we immediately cancel them, we will lose only $35 million. If they continue, we will lose $4.5 billion or more, like Vinashin,” he added.

Dr. Quang A urged the government to “bear the pain” once rather than have to suffer a long-lasting pain.

As Vinacomin, the investor of bauxite mining projects, and the Ministry of Science and Technology confirmed that it has measures to guarantee safety for red mud reservoirs, Dr. Quang A said that no bauxite plant in the world, even the most modern one in the US, can guarantee the endurance of the red mud reservoir against acid erosion.

He added that the red mud reservoir in Hungary is located in the valley while the bauxite projects in the Central Highlands are on the height of 700m over the sea. If accident occurs, red mud will cover the entire southern plain.

Writer, translator and education-culture researcher Nguyen Ngoc:

“If we cancel bauxite projects, we will be able to maintain the remaining little forest area in the Central Highlands. Most of terrible floods in the central region were caused by deforestation. If we count losses in the recent two floods, we will understand whether should keep forests or mine bauxite,” he said.

“I’ve made a field trip to Tan Rai and Nhan Co bauxite mining projects. The ore processing line in Tan Rai has been built but it doesn’t have a road system to transport materials and products. As you know, expenditure for building roads is huge. If we stop it now, we can save dozens of hundred million US dollars to build roads”.

“Nhan Co has nothing. It is a fallow with several electric poles. The earlier we stop it, the smaller cost we will have to pay.”

He said that climate change and deforestation have also caused flood in the Central Highlands. Nobody can guarantee that the Central Highlands will not be flooded in the future. Once it is flooded, the water will spread red mud everywhere, causing an environmental disaster.

Colonel Vo Van Du, director of the Police Agency of Dak Nong Province, a National Assembly deputy: I feel secure

Du said he believed in Vinacomin’s methods and it is impossible for a similar incident to happen in Dak Nong province. The bauxite projects should be continued.

Economist Pham Chi Lan:

“Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen guaranteed the safety of the red mud reservoir in theory but I think we should cancel the bauxite projects because the gap between theory and reality is very wide,” she said.

All factories are in theory built on the guarantee of safety but in reality, accidents still happen

“Vietnam should not make a hurried decision. We can implement bauxite projects in the future when we have more advanced technology,” she said.

Nghiem Vu Khai, Vice Chair of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science-Technology and Environment:

“It is very difficult to cancel bauxite mining projects right now. Relevant agencies should have a dialogue with the people about environment issues. We should build one bauxite plant at an average scale.

Former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Hung Vo: Vietnam doesn’t get rich from bauxite mining

Vo said that the incident in Hungary made those who protested against the bauxite projects in the Central Highlands more anxious.

“We need to question whether Vietnam will “die” if it doesn’t explore bauxite in the Central Highlands? The answer is not. Vietnam is not rich but it is not very poor so that it has to hurriedly sell all natural resources.”

“Moreover, environment protection is a big challenge. It is too dangerous to have a huge volume of red mud in the Central Highlands. If the red mud reservoirs break, it will cause an environmental diaster.”

According to Vo, it is not good to only rely on Vinacomin’s research about the bauxite projects because the group expects profit from these projects. It is different to evaluate bauxite projects based on the business interest and the national interests. It is necessary to have independent research works about bauxite mining.

Vinacomin and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed that red mud reservoirs can endure earthquake at nine Richter scale and red mud will be treated by being buried but Vo said that even when itis buried, it will still be absorbed into underground water. Moreover, earthquake is only one of manyreasons that may break the reservoirs.

He said that if Vietnam cancels the bauxite projects right now, it will incur a loss of $400 million but if the projects are implemented, it may cause losses of up to $1 billion or even uncountable losses for the environment.

“Vietnam may be poor without oil and gas but it will not be poorer without bauxite. It is very modest to produce several million tons of alumina annually. Moreover, aluminum is a cheap material in the world market. It is not a high added value mineral,” he remarked.

Nguyen Minh Thuyet, Vice Chair of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children:

Thuyet said that the Tan Rai project should be continued as a pilot project because the plant has been built. The project in Nhan Co should be canceled because the construction has not begun yet.

Thuyet is one of the deputies who didn’t support the bauxite project from the beginning because of the low economic returns, environmental and technical problems associated with bauxite mining. He hopes that the Party, the State and the Government will carefully consider the recent letter signed by nearly 2000 intellectuals.

A Vinacomin official said that it will send experts to Hungary to gain more experience with dealing with the damage, and hire independent consulting firms to review the entire projects.

Chair of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Phuc told the press on October 23 that the government is considering the opinion of the intellectuals over the bauxite mining projects. He said the Government will make the final decision based on economic effectiveness, environment protection and sustainable development.

According to Phuc, the policy to explore bauxite in the Central Highlands was approved by the Politburo, the National Assembly and the Government so it takes time to review the projects to decide whether we should cancel them or not. – Vietnamnet

Tags: Vietnam bauxite, Vietnam Bauxite mining projects