Illustrative image (Source: VNA) The announcement said the sessionreached conclusions on disciplinary measures against the Party Affairs Section atthe Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and severalindividuals for their mistakes related to the marine environment incidentcaused by the Formosa Ha Tinh steel factory.
According to the commission, theMoNRE’s Party Committee of the 2011-2016 tenure showed a lack of responsibilityand lax leadership and monitoring, resulting in the ministry and someindividuals violating State regulations on environmental protection and waterresources management involving Formosa Ha Tinh steel-making project, thuscausing serious environment consequences.
Nguyen Minh Quang, former PartyCentral Committee member, former Secretary of the MoNRE’s Party Affairs Section,and former Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, must bear responsibilityas the top leader for violations committed by the MoNRE Party Committee (2011-2016tenure).
Former member of the MoNRE’sParty Affairs Section, former Deputy Minister and former head of theEnvironment Administration Bui Cach Tuyen was irresponsible when approving environmentimpact assessment reports and ignored warnings about impacts on theenvironment. Tuyen also slackened leadership over the supervision and inspectionof Formosa’s construction of environment facilities.
Former member of the MoNRE’sParty Affairs Section and former Deputy Minister Nguyen Thai Lai showed irresponsibilityand lax supervision in verifying and approving licences for Formosa’s wastewaterdischarge.
The inspection commissionrequested that the Party Central Committee Secretariat consider disciplinaryactions against the MoNRE’s Party Affairs Section and the three formerofficials Quang, Tuyen and Lai in line with the Party’s regulations.
The commission decided to removeall Party posts of Luong Duy Hanh, head of the MoNRE’s Environmental Protectionand Control Department, for his lack of responsibility when serving as head ofthe inspection team for Formosa project.
Regarding the Secretary of theParty Delegation and President of the Vietnam Cooperatives Alliance Vo Kim Cu,who used to be Secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Tinh province, Secretaryof the Party Affairs Section and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee,the inspection commission concluded that he had to bear the main responsibilityfor violations and mistakes committed by the provincial Party Affairs Sectionand the provincial People’s Committee in the 2008-2016 period and by theprovincial economic zone management board in 2008-2010. Cu himself signed manydocuments in violation of the law, such as granting investment licence andallowing the lease of sea surface outside of the economic zone, allowingFormosa to conduct land clearance to build wastewater pipelines, while failingto keep close supervision and inspection of the implementation of the project.
The inspection commission requestedthe Party Central Committee Secretariat to consider disciplinary measuresagainst Cu in line with Party regulations.
At the same time, the commissiondecided to remove former Secretary of the Party Committee and head of the HaTinh provincial economic zone management board Ho Anh Tuan from the post ofSecretary of the Party Committee of the provincial economic zone managementboard in the 2005-2010 and 2010-2015 tenures. The commission said Tuan had tobear responsibility for violations by the provincial economic zone’s managementboard during 2010-2016 and he himself signed several documents against the lawand allowed Formosa to start construction of its project before completingnecessary procedures.
At the event, the commission alsoconsidered and answered several complaints and denunciation letters.
Last year, Formosa admitted thatuntreated water dumped directly into the sea from its steel plant in Ha Tinh causedthe massive death of fish in waters off the four central provinces.
The disaster affected some100,000 fishermen and local workers of the fishing and seafood industries.
Formosa paid 500 million USD incompensation to people that had their livelihoods affected by the disaster.-VNA
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