On March 31, the Economic, Corruption, and Environmental Crimes Investigation Division of Bac Ninh Provincial Police announced it had filed charges in a case of “Environmental Pollution” following evidence collected in Quan Nghe, Xom Trai, Dai Bai Commune.

Earlier, through routine surveillance, the police caught a worker in the act of illegally dumping aluminum slag behind a smelting furnace. The worker was melting aluminum under contract for the facility owned by Nguyen Thi Thinh (born 1969), a resident of Quan Nghe area, Xom Trai hamlet.

At the time of inspection, Thinh’s aluminum smelting furnace was in operation with three workers present. Authorities, in coordination with relevant agencies, weighed nearly 123 tons of aluminum slag waste that had been illegally discarded on land behind the facility.

According to case records, the land used by Nguyen Thi Thinh’s household is designated as agricultural land, intended for aquaculture. It is not licensed for residential or industrial production use and is not authorized for burial, storage, or dumping of waste materials.

The case is currently under further investigation and will be handled in accordance with the law.

Electricity cut, furnaces dismantled at polluting facilities in Dai Bai

In recent days, inspection teams in Dai Bai Commune, Gia Binh District, have been documenting violations and ordering households and production facilities to cease operations. Teams have also required the dismantling of furnaces and smokestacks at these sites.

Inspections revealed that 100% of the local households and facilities were in violation of environmental regulations. Authorities issued notices to halt operations at 98 facilities and cut power to those deemed unqualified to continue production.

Speaking to VietNamNet, Luong Trung Hau, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Gia Binh District People’s Committee, said: “Residents were informed and fully understood that the purpose of this campaign is to clean up the environment and return the village’s operations to its original essence - traditional bronze casting. During inspections, locals cooperated well with the task force and voluntarily dismantled their illegal facilities.”

Dai Bai craft village (Gia Binh District) has a history spanning over 300 years and is renowned for its traditional trades: bronze casting, aluminum smelting, and handcrafted decorative products.

According to provincial authorities, Dai Bai has 2,326 households, including 461 producing handicrafts, 184 casting aluminum and bronze, and 26 specializing in recycled metal smelting.

Bao Khanh