Overflowing landfill forces suspension of waste intake in Vietnam province

Under a formal directive recently issued by the provincial People’s Committee, the commune must urgently implement remedial and rehabilitation measures at Loc Ha Waste Treatment Facility.

These include spraying biological products to reduce foul odors and control flies and mosquitoes, leveling and compacting waste at burial pits, and operating the wastewater treatment system to handle accumulated leachate in the biological ponds.

The goal is to ensure environmental hygiene at the landfill and surrounding areas in the commune, preventing further pollution.

The provincial administration also instructed Hong Loc, Mai Phu, Loc Ha, and Dong Kinh Communes to step up public awareness campaigns, encouraging residents to sort and treat waste at the source and within households in order to reduce the volume of domestic waste requiring collection and disposal.

The communes have been asked to coordinate with waste treatment units in neighboring Co Dam and Thach Lac Communes to transport and transfer waste for proper treatment.

The provincial People’s Committee has assigned the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to team up with the provincial Department of Finance and other relevant agencies to monitor and guide the communes in managing waste collection, transportation, and treatment in compliance with regulations.

Loc Ha Waste Treatment Facility began operations in 2015 on an area of about five hectares, serving as the main disposal site for household waste from 12 communes and towns in the former Loc Ha District.

For more than a decade, waste has been handled mainly through burial and open-air dumping.

As a result, the volume of accumulated waste has grown substantially, causing prolonged environmental impacts.

The landfill was scheduled to cease operations in June 2025.

However, due to the lack of a replacement facility and the continued daily generation of household waste, collection units have had no choice but to keep dumping waste at the site, pushing it far beyond capacity.

Residents living near the landfill complained that open dumping has led to severe pollution, particularly during the summer months, when the stench becomes overwhelming and swarms of flies spread through neighborhoods.