Supplement Projects for Resource Exploitation Required to Deposit for Environmental Restoration

Supplementing resource extraction projects with mandatory environmental restoration deposits (Illustrative image)

To be specific, Article 145 of the Draft Law on Environmental Protection (Amended) stipulates that organizations and individuals implementing natural resource extraction projects and projects likely to deplete resources, cause pollution, or alter the environment below must make an environmental restoration deposit:

- Mineral extraction;- Production of hazardous chemicals;- Water resource extraction;- Sanitary landfill waste treatments, except for projects funded by the state budget;- Other projects with activities causing soil pollution.

Organizations and individuals as mentioned in clause 1 of this Article have responsibilities to:

- Develop a plan for environmental treatment, improvement, and restoration for approval by the competent authority;- Make deposits at the environmental protection fund according to the approved plan;- Implement environmental treatment, improvement, and restoration after the project ends;- Monitor, supervise the environmental quality changes after treatment, improvement, and restoration and hand over the restored land area to the local authority for continued management as per regulations.

Thus, this Draft specifically regulates that natural resource extraction projects and projects likely to deplete resources, cause pollution, or alter the environment must make an environmental restoration deposit. Additionally, investors are responsible for post-extraction activities associated with their projects.

See additional regulations at: Draft Law on Environmental Protection (Amended 2020)

Ngoc Tai

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