Monosodium glutamate producer Vedan Vietnam has agreed to pay only 2.4 billion VNA (127,000 USD) of the requested compensation of 53 billion VND (278,000 USD) for farmers living in the polluted communes of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, which were affected by the company's untreated waste.
During a meeting on Tuesday, provincial authorities and the Institute for Natural Resources and Environment provided the legal evidence and data from site tests on which the compensation level was based.
The national General Department of Environment and Vedan also attended the meeting.
Yang Kun Hsiang, Vedan's general director, said it would pay compensation of 127,000 USD to rice, aquaculture and fishery farmers, but not to salt farmers.
The environment department had previously asked Vedan to pay 10 billion VND (523,000 USD) of the entire amount of 53 billion VND in advance to farmers.
It also had asked Vedan to pay for expenses to cover legal fees, data gathering and evaluation reports of damages to farmland.
The department has urged authorities of Dong Nai province where Vedan's factories are located to speed up the assessments of damage caused by the pollution in the province. Ba Ria-Vung Tau province has completed the work, while HCM City continues to conduct its assessments.
The ministry has asked the provinces and HCM City to continue to negotiate with Vedan on the compensation amounts and report on its findings before May 20./.
During a meeting on Tuesday, provincial authorities and the Institute for Natural Resources and Environment provided the legal evidence and data from site tests on which the compensation level was based.
The national General Department of Environment and Vedan also attended the meeting.
Yang Kun Hsiang, Vedan's general director, said it would pay compensation of 127,000 USD to rice, aquaculture and fishery farmers, but not to salt farmers.
The environment department had previously asked Vedan to pay 10 billion VND (523,000 USD) of the entire amount of 53 billion VND in advance to farmers.
It also had asked Vedan to pay for expenses to cover legal fees, data gathering and evaluation reports of damages to farmland.
The department has urged authorities of Dong Nai province where Vedan's factories are located to speed up the assessments of damage caused by the pollution in the province. Ba Ria-Vung Tau province has completed the work, while HCM City continues to conduct its assessments.
The ministry has asked the provinces and HCM City to continue to negotiate with Vedan on the compensation amounts and report on its findings before May 20./.
