Mining and environmental protection need to be linked

​Dong Nai has large mineral deposits, particularly construction stones in the Southeast region. This is an important source of materials for socio-economic development of the province as well as other provinces and cities in the region.​

Nguyen Hong Linh - Member of the Central Party Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee takes a field trip to a quarry at Thien Tan commune, Vinh Cuu district

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Exploiting and reasonably using mineral resources in association with environmental protection is a major issue for the province.

Exploited about 90 million cubic meters

The report of the Southern Federation of Geological Maps shows that Dong Nai has large mineral reserves in the Southeast. Whereas, most are construction stones with about 2,946 million cubic meters.

Based on this report and the planning of exploration and mineral exploitation (ME) in stages, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Provincial People's Committee have issued 32 licenses of construction stone mining with a reserve of more than 384 million cubic meters. By the end of 2022, the province exploited about 90 million cuber meters, equivalent to about 23% of the licensed reserves. The rest, the mine owners are mining at annual licensed capacity.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Van Phi said that most localities had planned mineral exploitation mines to serve construction projects. In which, there were 2 clusters of concentrated mines Phuoc Tan - Tam Phuoc (Bien Hoa city) and Thien Tan (Vinh Cuu district). The licensing of exploration and exploitation must comply with the provisions of the Law on Minerals, the Law on Environmental Protection and the planning of mineral exploitation of the province.

Phuoc Tan - Tam Phuoc mine cluster has the largest scale with 10 mines, the total planning area is nearly 394 hectares. By the end of 2022, the cluster exploited about 41/137 million cuber meters of stones, equivalent to about 30% of the reserve.

Bien Hoa Construction and Building Materials Production Joint Stock Company (BBCC) currently has 5 quarries being exploited in the province. The representative of the company said that the company complied with the licensed volume of mining, had many solutions to limit environmental pollution in the mining process such as: planting green trees and watering to reduce dust, wastewater treatment,  control vehicle load.

According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment assessment, most of the mining mines complied with the payment of mineral mining rights, natural resources tax and environmental fees. Although the contribution was not high compared to some industries, mining activities had been meeting the needs of civil construction and key projects in the province, Ho Chi Minh City and some provinces in the South West region, and at the same time contributing to stabilizing the price of construction materials in the region.​

A quarry being exploited at Phuoc Tan - Tam Phuoc mine cluster​

Exploiting and using reasonably

Construction stone is one of the indispensable materials for technical infrastructure works. Like other natural resources, stone will be depleted gradually during mining. Therefore, the effective exploitation and use of resources is a big problem.

Sharing during a recent field trip to a mineral mine, Member of the Central Party Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Hong Linh said that in the 10 to 20 years after, the province still had a lot of construction projects that need stones. Mineral mining planning and licensing must be suitable to the development needs of each period. Mineral extraction sites must conform to construction and land use planning. Calculating mines to reserve materials for the future, otherwise we would fall into shortages such as sand and leveling materials as present.

Currently, planning for the exploration, exploitation, and use of minerals, common building materials and peat in Dong Nai province for the period from 2016 to 2020 with a vision to 2030 has come to an end. The Provincial People's Committee established a target for the completion of the planning of mineral exploration, extraction, processing and use in line with the Law on Planning by the middle of 2023 in the plan that was issued in 2022. Completing the database, information system on geology and minerals in 2025. Gradually form a modern mining industry according to the circular economy model.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Van Phi said that the province assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to assume the prime responsibility for implementing regulations and plans related to mineral management and exploitation; planning for exploration, exploitation and use of minerals as construction materials and peat in Dong Nai province. Localities review projects that have expired, cause severe environmental pollution, are no longer suitable for local socio-economic development planning to propose to be removed, and at the same time study and propose areas of mineral exploitation to include in the planning of the next period.​​