A metal company in the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An has been fined over VND1 billion (US$43,968) following the failure of its tailing pond.

The Nghe Tinh Metal Company was slapped with the penalty after the waste storage pond servicing their tin mine was breached in Quy Hop District, Nghe An, inspectors from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed on Wednesday.

On March 9, the tailing pond of the Suoi Bac Tin Mining Enterprise, managed by Nghe Tinh Company, gave way, causing mud and leach residue to flow into a nearby stream.

About 20 local households reported that their farm-raised fish died en masse as a result of the incident.

The company later offered VND30 million ($1,139) to each affected family as compensation for the damage.

An inspection by competent authorities revealed that the company had been operating without prerequisite environmental papers for the past four years.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday evening, Nguyen Dinh Tung, chairman of the People’s Committee in Quy Hop District, stated he had not yet received the results of the evaluations of the water and mud samples from the tailing pond.

The specimens were previously collected by inspectors from the environmental ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Nghe An Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and the environmental unit under the provincial Department of Police.

Such findings will facilitate an aftermath assessment that will be presented to local residents, Tung said.

According to Le Sy Hao, head of the Office of Natural Resources and Environment in Quy Hop, all operations of Nghe Tinh Company are on hold until competent authorities reach a final decision on how to proceed.

“The firm has reinforced the pond to stop the leakage. A long-term solution will be determined later,” Hao continued.

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