Technical requirements for sand and gravel exploration of riverbed and soil, and rock for landfill materials in Vietnam as of June 6, 2024

Technical requirements for sand and gravel exploration of riverbed and soil, and rock for landfill materials in Vietnam as of June 6, 2024 (Internet image) 

Regarding this matter, LawNet would like to answer as follows: 

On April 22, 2024, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment issued Circular 02/2024/TT-BTNMT amending Circular 01/2016/TT-BTNMT on technical requirements for sand and gravel exploration of riverbed and soil, and rock for landfill materials.

Technical requirements for sand and gravel exploration of riverbed and soil, and rock for landfill materials in Vietnam as of June 6, 2024

The technical requirements for sand and gravel exploration of riverbed and soil, and rock for landfill materials in Vietnam as of June 6, 2024 are as follows:

- Exploration works must determine coordinates, heights according to the national coordinate system and height system (ensuring no overlap with: other exploration areas, restricted areas, or temporarily restricted exploitation areas in the actual area).

- Depending on the area, the complexity of the terrain of the mine, and the intended use, the mine terrain must be surveyed and drawn at a scale of 1: 5,000 or larger.

- Exploration works must be suitable for the structure and thickness of the mineral bodies, and the characteristics of the terrain.

- The network of exploration works must be designed according to the provisions in Article 3 of this Circular.

- The drilling works (if any) must ensure that the core samples obtained from the mineral bodies are not less than 70%.

- There must be documents and diagrams that are established on works such as wells, ditches, pits, exploration trenches, and natural and artificial exposures in the exploration according to current regulations and show their positions on the map of actual documents.

- For hydrogeological and engineering geological works:

Regarding hydrogeology: hydrogeological surveys for non-waterlogged mines must determine the preliminary amount of water flowing into the mine, the ability to dewater the mine. For waterlogged mines, the expected impact of mining activities on river flow must be estimated.

Regarding engineering geology: based on the results of geotechnical samples, areas with similar engineering geological conditions must determine the orientation of the moong bank slope for exploitation.

- Forecasting the impacts on river channels, banks, and riverbeds:

+ The sand and gravel exploration plan includes the requirements specified above and the work contents for assessing and forecasting the impacts on river channels, banks, and riverbeds according to the regulations on sand and gravel management, riverbed protection, banks, and riverbeds, including:

++ Establishing monitoring stations or collecting data on hydrodynamic characteristics according to seasons, current sediment deposition rates;

++ Surveying the current situation or collecting data on geological changes, including erosion, subsidence, riverbank erosion, and riverbed erosion.

+ Establishing a calculation model to simulate hydrodynamic processes (water level, flow), sediment transport, and morphological changes of the river (erosion, sedimentation) and the propagation of suspended matter caused by mining activities to determine the expected settling volume of sand, gravel and the reasonable distance, depth, and capacity of mining operations.

(Article 4 of Circular 01/2016/TT-BTNMT (amended in Circular 02/2024/TT-BTNMT))

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

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