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On May 11, the Son La Province Environmental Protection Fund refunded environmental restoration deposits to Quyết Tiến Sông Mã Joint Stock Company and Phú Lâm Phù Yên Joint Stock Company after completing a review of legal records, reconciling deposit records, and determining the enterprises’ eligibility for refund.
For the clay mining project producing raw material for brick manufacturing operated by Quyết Tiến Sông Mã in Song Mã commune, the Son La Provincial People’s Committee approved an environmental restoration plan, a mine closure plan, and a mine closure decision in 2025. The company made deposits nine times from 2017 to 2025, totaling over 309 million VND.
For the Da River sand mining project operated by Phú Lâm Phù Yên in Ta Học, Pắc Ngà, and Tạ Khoa communes, all environmental restoration obligations have been fulfilled. The Son La Provincial People’s Committee issued a mine closure decision in 2024. The company deposited once before mining, with a total of nearly 393 million VND, including principal and accrued interest.
Mr. Phùng Kim Sơn, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment and Director of the Son La Province Environmental Protection Fund, said that environmental restoration deposits in mining activities are an important task to ensure that resource exploitation is linked with environmental restoration responsibility.
Mr. Sơn added that the Son La Environmental Protection Fund is responsible not only for financial management, but also for ensuring enterprises’ environmental responsibility.
According to the fund, refunding the deposits demonstrates transparency and openness in administrative procedures and confirms that companies that fulfill their restoration obligations will have their legal rights protected.
Under regulations, mineral exploiters must deposit with the local Environmental Protection Fund or the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund. The deposit amount must be sufficient to cover restoration costs based on approved plans. Deposits earn interest at the lending rate of the environmental protection fund where deposited, and interest can be withdrawn only after a mine closure decision. Refunds are issued based on partial or full completion of restoration work according to the approved plan.
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