HCMC – The developer of the Disneyland-style Happyland Vietnam project in the southern province of Long An on Wednesday expressed grave concern over a nearby, huge waste treatment project still under preparation.
The US$2 billion Happyland Vietnam tourism and recreational project is to be developed by a subsidiary of the HCMC-based Khang Thong Group. This theme park, expected to cover 300 hectares along the Vam Co Dong River in Ben Luc District, suddenly finds itself located in close proximity with what will become a dumpsite nearly six times larger.
This huge “land of happiness” is expected to start construction early next year and to open from April 2014 with an estimated 14 million visitors a year, said Nguyen Anh Diep, CEO of Happyland Entertainment Development Joint Stock Company under Khang Thong Group.
Diep told the Daily on Wednesday that “the company is very concerned about negative impacts on his Happyland project because of bad odor from the Thu Thua Waste Treatment Complex” some 3km away.
The waste treatment site – which is still in the process of making the feasibility study – is to be developed by Vietnam Waste Solutions Company Limited (VWS), also the developer of Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in HCMC that has already caused huge grievances to local residents.
“Environmental pollution could be occurring like what has been happening at Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex. If air is to be polluted, millions of visitors at the tourism area would suffer,” Diep said.
The future operation of the huge dumpsite will also damage the view of the park, he said.
Diep explained Happyland Vietnam was designed with a riverfront section stretching some 3.7 kilometers along the Vam Co Dong River, so it will be very inconvenient for visitors to see waste being transported from HCMC to the waste facility on barges passing by the river everyday.
Talking to the Daily on the phone on Wednesday, a leader of Long An Province said the province would strictly oversee the waste treating process of the Thu Thua Waste Treatment Complex to control environmental pollution when it starts operation. However, the leader gave no further comment on negative environmental impacts on the tourism project.
The dumpsite investor, meanwhile, is proceeding with the project, and is to hold a press conference on Thursday to announce the feasibility study including treatment technologies and investment capital.
Pham Thi Thuy Nga, communications manager of VWS, told the Daily on Wednesday that the company was expected to spend some US$700 million on this huge waste treatment facility over a period of 20 years.
Earlier, the Ministry of Construction and authorities of HCMC and Long An had given approval for VWS to develop the waste treatment area in Tan Thanh and Thu Thua districts of Long An to help treat large amounts of household waste for both Long An and HCMC.
The plan for developing Thu Thua Waste Treatment Complex was agreed upon in 2002 by Long An and HCMC governments. Meanwhile, the investor of Happyland Vietnam project got an investment certificate for the tourism and recreational site around two years ago.
