Directive No. 199/TTg on urgent measures in the management of solid waste in urban areas and industrial zones

DIRECTIVE

On urgent measures for solid waste management in urban areas and industrial zones
trong các đô thị và khu công nghiệp

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In recent years, along with the development of the national economy and society, production, business, and service sectors in urban areas and industrial zones have expanded rapidly, contributing positively to the country's development on one hand, while generating a significant amount of solid waste including household waste, industrial waste, and hospital waste on the other. The indiscriminate disposal of unsanitary waste in urban areas and industrial zones is the primary cause of environmental pollution, leading to the emergence of diseases and affecting people's health and lives.

The risk of environmental pollution caused by waste has become an urgent issue for most cities across the country, while the management of solid waste in urban areas and industrial zones (hereinafter referred to as waste) remains weak, manifested in the following aspects:

- Currently, the rate of waste collection nationwide only reaches about 50% of the total waste volume.

- Most provinces and cities have not yet developed plans for waste treatment; waste disposal sites do not comply with environmental hygiene standards.

- Waste is not classified; hazardous waste and household waste are still concentrated and buried at the same location.

- There are no appropriate technological measures and equipment to handle hazardous waste discharged by factories and hospitals.

To address this situation, the Prime Minister instructs relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial-level cities under the central government to implement the following tasks well:

1. Ministries, sectors, and localities responsible for waste management need to review their responsibilities in directing waste management, and propose practical programs and measures for waste management to maintain clean urban environments. In the short term, they should focus on solving the following issues:

a. Management of waste generation, collection, and transportation

- Limit and eventually prohibit production, business, service, and hospital facilities as well as households from dumping waste into rivers, lakes, and streets. Strictly control to ensure that waste discharge and transportation comply with environmental hygiene regulations. All violations will be handled according to the Environmental Protection Law and related regulations of Vietnam.

- Timely and thoroughly collect waste, immediately classify waste at the source of discharge to facilitate reuse, recycling, and destruction. Encourage the application of new technologies in waste collection, transportation, and treatment.

- Promote hygienic and civilized living habits, eliminate bad practices such as littering waste randomly in urban areas; follow specific urban environmental hygiene regulations.

b. Management of waste treatment and destruction

- Plan and construct waste disposal sites according to environmental hygiene standards and meet local waste burial requirements.

- Apply appropriate technologies to treat or destroy waste in compliance with environmental standards, particularly hazardous industrial waste and hospital waste to ensure no environmental pollution and impact on human health.

- Implement measures to address environmental pollution caused by old waste burial sites.

2. Implementation Organization:

a. The Ministry of Construction directs the inspection and supervision of local planning and urban development implementation according to environmental protection standards, provides guidance documents, and develops projects for solid waste disposal site planning in urban areas and industrial zones.

b. The Ministry of Industry directs inspections, supervision, and implementation of measures to ensure that production, business, and service facilities strictly adhere to industrial waste management regulations, require them to have means and contracts with waste treatment units to reasonably handle waste generated during production; organize statistics and evaluation of industrial waste types, especially hazardous waste.

c. The Ministry of Health strengthens inspections, supervision, and implements measures to compel hospitals, health stations, and medical service facilities to strictly comply with hospital waste management regulations. Pay special attention to handling waste that may harm human health, such as medical specimens, bandages, needles, etc.

d. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance: Based on annual and long-term plans of ministries, sectors, and localities regarding waste management, balance funds and ensure necessary conditions, including foreign capital sources, for ministries, sectors, and localities to implement waste management plans.

đ. The Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment study and submit to the Prime Minister measures to create favorable conditions for production facilities to invest in waste treatment projects, tax import policies, and technology appraisal procedures for waste treatment machinery and equipment.

e. Provincial People's Committees directly under the central government are responsible for implementing state management regulations on environmental protection in their localities, direct local functional agencies to organize and coordinate with central functional agencies in developing annual and long-term plans for urban waste management and implement measures to ensure that cities, towns, and townships fulfill environmental hygiene tasks.

g. The Ministry of Culture and Information directs propaganda, education, and dissemination of legal regulations on environmental hygiene through radio, television programs, and press, enhancing public awareness and sense of responsibility regarding waste management.

h. The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment:

- Issue circulars and regulations guiding waste management, storage, and use of hazardous substances in the second quarter of 1997. Coordinate with the Ministry of Construction to issue standards and design specifications for various types of waste storage and burial sites.

- Guidelines for developing annual and long-term plans for waste management in urban areas and industrial zones of centrally governed cities and provinces, selection of technologies for treating different types of waste.

- Compilation and reporting to the Government on the annual situation of waste management nationwide.