Authorities in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang are looking for a new location to build a modern waste treatment plant as an existing facility is only two years away from reaching its maximum capacity, posing threats to the environment.

A conference was organized by the municipal People’s Committee on Tuesday morning, aimed at reviewing possible solutions and calling for potential investment into the establishment of the new waste treatment zone.

According to Le Quang Nam, director of the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, about 920 to 930 metric tons of garbage is released by local households on a daily basis.

Rubbish in the central hub is currently being treated at the Khanh Son Waste Treatment Plant, situated in Hoa Khanh Nam Ward, Lien Chieu District.

Operating since January 2007, the 32.4 hectare facility is expected to reach its full capacity in 2020, Nam said.

Trash is disposed of by burial at the venue, thus the recycling rate is low, the official said, adding that the method also poses high risks of environmental pollution, which would negatively impact people at a nearby residential area.

The city has set a target of recycling 80 percent of garbage by 2020, which requires the construction of a high-tech treatment complex, whose minimum capacity should be 1,000 metric tons per day, according to Nam.

There are currently two possible plans to reach this goal, expanding the existing waste treatment plant, or replacing it with a brand new facility, Nam stated.

The first option is to expand the Khanh Son treatment plant by 25.7 hectares, but the expansion may affect the operation of a nearby mining area, Nam said, adding that more work will need to be done to prevent pollution in the area.

The second plan suggests shutting down the Khanh Son facility and establishing a new waste treatment plant on a 120-hectare plot of land in Hoa Nhon Commune, which is about 20 kilometers away from the city center.

However, this proposal may involve site clearance and compensation as a few small villages are situated near the designated location.

Certain measures should also be applied to minimize risks of groundwater pollution in the vicinity, Nam underlined.

“We are seeking investment for the project, which will be carried out under the public–private partnership scheme,” he said.

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