The fine can reach up to 185 million VND (9,500 USD), according to the department.
Such a high fine cannot be imposed by the department unless it is approved by the city People's Committee.
The company, which offers packing printing services in District 10'sWard 5, fails to commit to protecting environment in accordance with thelaw, according to the inspection team of the Department of NaturalResources and Environment.
The company, which doesnot have a wastewater treatment system, discharged all of its untreatedwastewater during the printing process, which ended up in the city'sdrainage system.
The wastewater discharged from the company was found to exceed the allowable level between five and 10 times.
In addition, the company's waste, which contained ink and devices thatcontained ink, was not sent to the appropriate agencies for treatmentin accordance with the law.
Instead, it was mixed with other waste from the company and discharged illegally, according to the inspection team.
The department has also asked the city committee to demand that thecompany install a wastewater treatment system and register the ownershipof the hazardous waste within 30 days.
It also said the company must classify and transfer the hazardous waste to appropriate companies for treatment.
Prior to this case, the inspection team also examined the Gia Dinh –Phong Phu Textile Join-Stock Company, Tuong Lai Xanh Trading – ServiceLtd Company and Ngoc Phu Trading – Service Ltd Company.
All the three companies were also found to violate the environmental law.
The Gia Dinh – Phong Phu Textile Joint-Stock Company was fined once in2007 for discharging untreated wastewater into the environment.
The other two companies were found storing hazardous waste without having licences for the management of hazardous waste.
Nguyen Thi Du, head of the inspection team of the Department ofNatural Resources and Environment, has decided to fine the Gia Dinh –Phong Phu Textile Joint-Stock Company 6 million VND (300 USD) fordischarging untreated wastewater into the environment.
The other two companies were fined 25 million VND (1,250 USD) each for storing hazardous waste without a licence.
The companies were required to transport only licensed hazardous waste in accordance with the law.
The new environmental regulation, which took effect in March, imposes higher fines on violators than the previous law.
Before March, companies that did not transfer hazardous waste to theappropriate companies for treatment in accordance with the law werefined only 10 million VND (500 USD) – 30 million VND (1,500 USD).
But after March, they were fined up to 100 million VND (5,000 USD) for each violation./.