Viet Nam boost to lessen toxic chemical use

15/09/2015

     Close co-ordination between agencies is needed to safely manage PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) in Viet Nam, according to officials on 25/6/2015 at a meeting in Ha Noi. The meeting, co-organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Electricity of Viet Nam corporation (EVN), reviewed the 5-year implementation of a US$7-million Project on PCB management in Vietnam.      Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen said that, PCBs are among the 22 Persistant Organic Pollutants (POP) banned globally under the Stockholm Convention on Persistant Organic Pollutants. They're used across industrial sectors to control heat in electrical, hydraulic and other types of equipment, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. But they can cause cancer and seriously harm humans in a variety of other ways.   Close co-ordination between agencies is needed to safely manage PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) in Viet Nam        Therefore, Viet Nam has committed to stop using PCB-contaminated oil and PCB oil-containing electrical equipment and machinery by 2020 and destroy all related equipment by 2028. The Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility, has helped State offices improve legal frameworks and provided a database for PCB management, Mr. Bui Cach Tuyen said. Results of the five-year Project, carried out in 63 provinces and cities, will help the country establish its National Action Plan for managing and disposing of PCBs safely.      Participants at the meeting agreed that financial difficulties make it harder for small- and medium-scale enterprises to deal with hazardous waste.   Nhật Minh