Thanh Hoa: Toxic chemicals buried in pesticide factory People in Thanh Hoa broke into a polluting factory, dug up many chemical tanks buried under the ground and discovered numerous bottles of expired pesticides in the factory campus. Dozens of chemical drums buried deep underground. In the afternoon of August 30, Colonel Nguyen Duy Binh, Head of the Environmental Police Agency of Thanh Hoa Province, announced to suspend the production activities of a pesticide plant of the Nicotex Thai Thanh JSC, based in Van Cam commune, Cam Thuy district within 30 days. The authorities identified that the Nicotex Thanh Thai JSC seriously violated the environmental law. In a month, if the company does not handle the consequences, it will be closed. Earlier, on August 25, believing that the company secretly buried a large amount of chemicals and expired pesticides, causing groundwater pollution, hundreds of people in the two communes near the factory surrounded the plant. Initially, the company denied of burying toxics but a few days later they admitted to bury 350 kg of expired chemicals. While the authorities did not handle the case, on August 29-30, hundreds of people carried hoes, shovels, crowbars broke into the factory. After a few hours of digging, people discovered drums containing chemicals, packaging, bottles, jars buried underground for a long time. Many tanks were rusty, smelly with chemicals. Many expired pesticide bags in the campus of the factory. Mr. Pham Quoc Bao, an official of Cam Thuy District, said that the local people complained about this company’s polluting activities for many years. The authorities took soil and water samples for tests but the results were always good. Bao added that many groups of experts inspected the factory but they did not detect toxics buried underground. "We are surprised by the people’s detection of large quantities of unearthed toxic chemicals here. Obviously the people’s accusation is true," he said and added that the local health sector had recorded a number of local people living around the pesticide plant died of cancer. Many people said that for years they had to live with the pollution of the air, land and water caused by this factory. "Over the past ten years, we had to live with the smell of pesticide. We had to sleep with masks on our faces," said Mr. Mai Danh Hanh, 64, a local resident. The underground chemical “warehouse” at the pesticide factory: Over the past few days, hundreds of people in Lam Yen commune, Yen Dinh district and Cam Van and Cam Tam communes of Cam Thuy District, Thanh Hoa province "sieged" the pesticide plant of the Nicotex Thanh Thai JSC to protest this firm’s polluting acts. People accused Nicotex of burying expired chemicals, causing underground water and air pollution. Many inspection teams came but they did not detect anything. On August 29-30, people carried crowbars, hoes and spades to this plant to excavate the ground themselves. They detected dozens of rusty drums of chemicals at the depth of 30-50 cm. These drums contain chemicals, which are said to be buried many years ago. Thousands of pesticide packs were found in the bushes around the plant.  Pesticide bottles and packaging were everywhere. Hundreds of drums of unused chemicals are not shielded or stored in a warehouse but they are left expose to rain and sun, causing chemical leaking. The wastewater treatment system is quite simple. Dirty water is mixed with a few drums of lime water and then is discharged directly into the environment. In the afternoon of August 30, the environmental police suspended the operations of the plant for investigation. However, hundreds of people intended to get into the plant to attack its leaders. The security forces worked hard to stabilize the situation. Local authorities urged people to restraint to avoid unfortunate incidents. VNE