The opinions on health concern of the Vinh Tan fishermen community toward Vinh Tan thermal power plant, Vietnam

Abstract

Coal has rapidly become the substantive energy source for electricity in Vietnam, despite the concerns on public health and environmental costs. Coal burning is a significant contributor to smog, air pollution, and acid rain. Toxic air pollutants released from the coal burning process have been proved as a reason for severe damage to the human respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Furthermore, each stage of the coal life cycle, such as mining, transportation, washing, combustion, and disposing of post-combustion wastes, can also negatively impact public health. Vinh Tan Thermal Power Plant, a.k.a Vinh Tan Coal Power Plant (CPP) Complex in southern province Binh Thuan, is projected under the PDP VII to have 6,224 MW of capacity. It is a power complex, including five plants (Vinh Tan-1, Vinh Tan- 2, Vinh Tan- 3, Vinh Tan-4, and Vinh Tan-4 Extension), ten units built in phases. It is expected that the power station helps ease power shortages in southern Vietnam when all of those units come online in 2025. On 15 January 2014, the first unit of Vinh Tan- 2 officially went on the operation, causing severe environmental pollution. It had aroused intense health concerns and faced a strong objection from the community, especially when three other plants (Vinh Tan- 1, Vinh Tan- 4, and Vinh Tan- 4 Extension) have been successfully connected to the national electricity grid. This study intends to understand Vinh Tan fishermen's opinions on the health issues they are facing, their right to health, and the nexus of them to the Vinh Tan CPP and to examine their views on their rights to access environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making, access to justice, and on the Vietnamese government's obligations to fulfill those rights. The research is a qualitative analysis based on the secondary and primary data collection with an in- depth interview (six informants) and a ten-household referral sampling survey. The study results revealed that to meet the national power requirement, the State of Vietnam had approved the Vinh Tan CPP project's establishment and disregarded the environmental and health concerns. They have not performed their obligations properly to protect the community from environmental harm, which leads to the violation of the Vinh Tan community's right to health. In conclusion, the State of Vietnam should be accountable, along with the private sector, for the violations due to its failure to implement the international human rights treaties in terms of the right to health, adopt these standards into domestic laws, and enforce them in practice. IMPLICATION OF THE THESIS Suggestions for further research are: 1. Examine the connection between the air and water pollution and the diseases in the Vinh Tan area with climate change. 2. Analyze the potential of wind power and solar power production in Binh Thuan province, as alternative renewable energy sources, to replacing coal power.