The Long Thanh airport project is urgently under construction to speed up progress, but for many months now, dust has heavily affected thousands of surrounding households.
Sân bay Quốc tế Long Thà nh, also known as Long Thanh International Airport, is a brand-new international airport being built in Long Thanh, Dong Nai, Vietnam, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of Ho Chi Minh City. The first section of construction is expected to be completed by 2025. If the airport is constructed to its full design capacity, it will yearly handle more than 100 million passengers. The undertaking represents the most costly building undertaking in Vietnam's history. It will take over as the primary airport for the city, replacing the current Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Serious pollution in the surrounding areas (photo: tuoitre)
The construction process of the airport released a huge amount of dust, affecting the lives and activities of people in many communes in the district. The functional sector has worked with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV, the investor of Long Thanh airport), ACV has committed to water during the construction process. However, up to now, the dust emission situation has not been overcome.
The main reason for this issue is that AVC does not regularly and inadequately water at the locations as the content of the approved environmental impact assessment report. During the construction process, ACV carried out leveling on the entire area of more than 2,500 hectares, the entire surface layer of organic soil was peeled off to reveal the entire land that was not covered by vegetation. The number of moving vehicles is large, continuous operation, fast moving speed. In addition, adverse weather factors, this dry season often forms tornadoes, sweeping up a lot of dust and spreading it around.
The cause of dust is because, AVC does not regularly and inadequately water at the locations as the content of the approved environmental impact assessment report. During the construction process, ACV carried out leveling on the entire area of more than 2,500 hectares, the entire surface layer of organic soil was peeled off to reveal the entire land that was not covered by vegetation. The number of moving vehicles is large, continuous operation, fast moving speed. In addition, adverse weather factors, this dry season often forms tornadoes, sweeping up a lot of dust and spreading it around.
According to the Dong Nai Environmental Protection Department, the Long Thanh airport project has been approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for an environmental impact assessment report. In this report, the investor proposes many solutions to minimise dust such as: Building barriers in the construction area, covering and humidifying the material storage area, temporary disposal site, and transportation vehicles at night and end before 10pm, cover the trunk with tarpaulin, etc.
Mr. Do Tat Binh, Head of the Long Thanh Airport Project Management Board, said that it is currently the peak of the dry season and often has high winds, so the dust at Long Thanh airport is more dispersed than before. The Airports Corporation of Vietnam has asked the units to increase watering, and will direct the suspension of night construction, reducing the frequency of daytime vehicles on the construction site. At this point, ACV will send some fire trucks of the unit to increase watering at Long Thanh airport.
Source: the Internet