Vietnam Affirms Taiwan-invested Formosa Has No License to Import Waste Mud

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has affirmed that it gave no license to the import of 160 tons of waste mud to Taiwan-invested Formosa Hung Nghiep Ha Tinh Steel Corp. The batch of mud arrived Vietnam last weekend on a ship which docked at Son Duong port in the central province of Ha Tinh from Hong Kong, the newswire VnExpresss.net reported, citing the ministry. Initial investigations by local customs and police showed that the mud is bauxite residue imported to serve the construction and steel manufacturing of Formosa Ha Tinh. Nguyen Dinh Binh, deputy head of Ha Tinh Department of Customs, said that the mud is within items allowed to be imported. Bauxite residue, or red mud, red sludge is a waste product generated in the industrial production of aluminum. It is hazardous and becomes one of the most important disposal problems in the mining industry. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam – Vietnam Economic Times Sept 21 p3, VnExpress.net Sept 20, Tuoi Tre – Youth Sept 20)