Unusual Formosa factory smoke not a problem: province leader

Unusually dense, yellow smoke billowing from the factory operated by the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation (FHS) Saturday was not a problem, says provincial chairman Vo Trong Hai.

Hai said that soon after the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, with the dense smoke rising into the sky, local authorities worked with the Taiwanese-backed Formosa Ha Tinh to examine and clarify it.

“Through inspections, it was determined that an error in the exhaust fan system of a blast furnace caused smoke to rise high in the company’s premises,” Hai told The Investor Sunday afternoon.

Police reports said the incident did not harm any person or cause any property damage.

Authorities of the central province have asked Formosa Ha Tinh to repair the exhaust fan system and ensure that such an incident does not happen again, ensuring environmental protection as well as occupational safety and health in production.

Formosa is one of the biggest foreign investors in Vietnam. The group's investment includes an integrated steel mill, Son Duong Port, and a coal-fired power plant.

In April 2016, the corporation was responsible for mass deaths of marine creatures along the coast of the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue. An estimated 70 tons of dead fish washed ashore along more than 200 km (125 miles) of Vietnam’s central coastline, hurting the livelihoods of millions dependent on the fisheries and tourism industries.

Four months later, the corporation paid out more than VND11.5 trillion (about $500 million) in compensation, which was used to help local fishermen find new employment and clean up the contaminated marine environment.

According to the group, it had spent over $1.4 billion on environmental protection facilities as of July this year, or 10.9% of its overall investment capital.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in early July this year said assessments showed that the quality of wastewater discharged into the sea from the Formosa complex from July 2016 to date had met set standards.

On October 1 this year, an explosion at the Formosa thermal power plant in Ha Tinh killed one worker.

Three workers were conducting maintenance work on gas pipelines at the plant when an explosion occurred, killing one and severely injuring the other two.

The trio worked for a subcontractor headquartered in the Vung Ang Economic Zone, specializing in construction and maintenance of mechanical works.