Decision No. 328/2005/QD-TTg on approving the National Plan to Control Environmental Pollution until 2010

DECISION OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Regarding the approval of the National Plan

to control environmental pollution until 2010

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

On the basis of the Environmental Protection Law dated December 27, 1993;

CONSIDERING THE PROPOSAL OF THE MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approve the National Plan to control environmental pollution until 2010 (hereinafter referred to as the Plan) with the main contents as follows:

1. Objectives:

a) Strive to complete the investigation, statistics, treatment, and management of 70% of sources of emissions, types of waste, and total emissions nationwide; strive to collect, transport, and treat 90% of the total solid waste generated in cities and industrial zones; treat 100% of hazardous medical waste and over 60% of industrial hazardous waste using appropriate technologies.

b) Control the basic situation of environmental pollution in some fields that frequently cause pollution such as: chemical industry; textile, dyeing, leather, paper, food processing, mineral resource extraction and processing; healthcare; transportation; areas contaminated with toxic chemicals used by the United States during the war and residual pesticides. Control the situation of environmental pollution at hotspots, sensitive areas, and prevent their spread.

c) Strengthen the capacity for controlling environmental pollution and treating waste, especially in key economic regions, urban areas, industrial zones, craft villages, and river basins.

d) Institutionalize and effectively implement international treaties related to the control of environmental pollution that Vietnam has signed or joined.

2. Guiding Principles:

a) The control of environmental pollution must be carried out regularly, continuously, promptly, with focus on key areas; it must be suitable to the actual capabilities and conditions and meet the basic requirements of each sector, locality, and the country at different periods.

b) The control of environmental pollution must prioritize prevention, with the elimination of pollution and improvement of environmental quality as the core, viewing science and technology as important tools, and using environmental standards as the basis.

c) Controlling environmental pollution is the responsibility of the whole society, all levels, all sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals. The State encourages socialization in the work of collecting, transporting, treating, and managing waste.

3. Tasks:

a) Continue to supplement, amend, and perfect the system of legal regulations, mechanisms, and policies in the field of controlling environmental pollution such as: policies encouraging activities to reduce environmental pollution, collecting, transporting, treating, recycling, and reusing waste and restoring the environment; mechanisms for publicly disclosing information about pollution situations and pollution handling to the community; tax and fee policies for various types of waste; mandatory provisions requiring facilities to self-monitor and periodically report monitoring results to competent authorities; establishing and promulgating industry and national standards on waste and emissions into the environment; technical guidelines for controlling environmental pollution.

b) Strictly implement regulations on preparing environmental impact assessment reports for planning, programs, investment projects, or registering to meet environmental standards for all production and service facilities that use natural resources or have emissions; strengthen post-inspection work such as inspections, checks, and supervision of the implementation of environmental impact assessment report contents after approval and project implementation.

c) Organize investigations and statistics on sources of emissions, types of waste, and total emissions throughout the country, by each sector, and by each locality, focusing on hazardous sources and waste. Based on this, implement a waste management mechanism from the source and develop specific plans to limit, reduce, and treat waste.

d) Establish a national database on sources of emissions, types of waste, and total emissions; widely provide information about environmental pollution situations and pollution handling to the community; issue appropriate mechanisms to encourage and promote active and proactive participation of mass organizations, communities, and citizens in environmental pollution control activities.

đ) Build, consolidate, and perfect the system of monitoring centers, stations, and points according to the overall plan for the national environmental monitoring system, prioritizing the construction of monitoring centers, stations, and points in key economic regions of the country in the short term. Ensure smooth information flow within the national environmental monitoring system.

e) Plan and implement the construction of infrastructure systems for waste collection and treatment, prioritizing the construction and operation of hazardous waste treatment centers, transfer stations, pre-treatment facilities, and waste recycling; collect and treat wastewater in cities and industrial zones.

g) Control cross-border pollution, focusing on monitoring and controlling pollution in transboundary rivers and seas; strengthen control and prevent the importation of waste, particularly hazardous waste and outdated technology, from other countries into Vietnam.

h) Effectively implement the Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), and other international treaties on environmental pollution control that Vietnam has signed or joined.

i) Approve in principle 19 priority contents, programs, proposals, projects... to implement the Plan (detailed annex attached to this Decision).

4. Solutions:

a) Promote scientific research, technology transfer, and application of new technological advancements, cleaner production technologies, and environmentally friendly technologies in production and application in pollution control and treatment work. Form and develop the environmental industry and environmental economy; create favorable markets to encourage businesses of all economic components to invest in environmental protection activities and services.

b) Strengthen training activities to develop human resources in specialized fields and management for environmental pollution control and treatment.

c) Improve mechanisms and policies to encourage and promote socialization in waste collection, transportation, and treatment activities.

d) Increase investment from the state budget, particularly ODA funds, while diversifying investment sources to successfully implement the Plan.

đ) Enhance communication efforts to raise awareness about environmental pollution control through education; promote the role and responsibility of local authorities, social organizations, and each citizen in participating in environmental pollution control work within their respective areas.

e) Expand and improve the effectiveness of international cooperation in the field of environmental pollution control and treatment.

Article 2. Implementation of the Plan

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is the lead agency of the Government, responsible for assisting the Prime Minister in organizing the implementation of this Plan; regularly urging, monitoring, and inspecting the implementation of the Plan's contents at relevant ministries, sectors, and localities; annually compiling and reporting on the implementation results to the Prime Minister.

2. Ministries, sectors, and localities are responsible for developing and implementing plans for environmental pollution control within their respective management scopes, as well as the assigned contents in the Appendix attached to this Decision.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance are responsible for balancing and allocating state budget funds in annual and long-term plans to effectively implement the contents, programs, projects, and proposals of the Plan.

Article 3. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under the central government, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for enforcing this Decision.