Vietnam: New regulations on environmental emergency preparedness and response works for wastewater

Specifically, according to the Circular No. 25/2019/TT-BTNMT of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, environmental emergency preparedness and response works for wastewater (hereinafter referred to as “environmental emergency preparedness and response works”) must be solid, waterproof and resistant to wastewater leakage in accordance with design standards and regulations on construction or standards for quality of goods and products.

If the environmental emergency preparedness and response work is an emergency pond combined with stabilization pond, it must be designed so that it is at the last stage of the wastewater treatment system. In addition to having the function of environmental emergency preparedness and response for wastewater, the emergency pond combined with stabilization pond has the capacity for natural biological stabilization and treatment of pollution parameters of wastewater before its release into the environment.

If the owner of the project, facility or industrial park chooses to operate an environmental emergency preparedness and response work adopting the technical solutions specified in Clause 6 Article 37 of the Decree No. 38/2015/ND-CP added by Clause 19 Article 3 of the Decree No. 40/2019/ND-CP, the environmental emergency preparedness and response work shall comply with the following technical requirements for environmental protections:

- It has the ability to contain wastewater in a manner that is appropriate to the capacity of the wastewater treatment system;

- An environmental emergency preparedness and response plan should be in place during the operation by the owner of the project, facility or industrial park;

- The emergency pond combined with stabilization pond must have works and equipment that serve the wastewater recovery to ensure that it is not discharged into the environment if any emergency occurs. Measures should be taken to prevent wastewater recontamination that may arise during the operation of the pond system;

- If the project, facility or industrial park has multiple wastewater treatment systems, the environmental emergency preparedness and response work may be shared by such systems provided that an appropriate design and a common environmental emergency preparedness and response plan are produced;

- The emergency pond must not be used in combination with rainwater regulation, harvesting or drainage works at the project, facility or industrial park.

In addition to the technical solutions specified in Clause 6 Article 37 of the Decree No. 38/2015/ND-CP added by Clause 19 Article 3 of the Decree No. 40/2019/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government, the owner of the project, facility or industrial park shall, according to the characteristics and loading rate of the wastewater flow, recommend other technical solutions to the competent authority to operate environmental emergency preparedness and response works, ensuring that the technical requirements specified in Clause 1 of this Article 1 are satisfied and the environmental emergency preparedness and response plan is conformed to.

View full text at the Circular No. 25/2019/TT-BTNMT of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, effective from February 15, 2020.

Thu Ba

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