Fertilizer Plant Poisoning Red River for Half Century

Despite repeated warnings and sanctions, the Lam Thao Fertilizers and Chemicals JSC is still discharging substandard waste water into the Red River, causing pollution and harming people’s lives along the river. Lam Thao, operational since June 1962, was once the pride of Vietnam’s fertilizer industry as it produced fertilizer to serve agricultural production in northern provinces of Vietnam. It puts out 1.6 million tons of fertilizers of different kinds, such as superphosphate and NPK – S. To maintain such a large-scale production, the plant has to use a variety of chemicals and input materials, from sulfur, apatite ore to sandstone, coal and additives. Therefore, the production generates high volume of waste, including dust, waste water and solid waste. Meanwhile, Lam Thao has not found any good solution to treat the waste in the last 50 years. The fertilizer manufacturer does not have the license to discharge waste water into water sources, but it still has been discharging substandard waste water directly into the Red River. When reporters visited the river outlet in Son Thi Hamlet of Lam Thao Town days ago, the smell of the chemicals was overpowering. “The smell is from chemicals used by the plant. It is terrible. We have to wear 2-3 protective masks, but they don't help,” a local man said. (vietnamnet.vn Nov 22)