Authorities in north-central Ha Tinh province have proposed that the government and the Prime Minister urgently consider shutting down the Thach Khe iron mine to deal with the consequences from the project’s postponement 12 years ago.

The largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, Thach Khe covers over 4,820 ha spanning five coastal communes in Thach Ha district.

It is estimated to have 544 million tons of iron ore reserves.

The project had total estimated investment capital of VND14.5 trillion ($604 million), and was exploited from 2008 to 2011 before operations were postponed.

In July, provincial authorities proposed shutting down the mine at a working session with the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) regarding new exploitation plans for the project.

It is estimated that 3-4 million sq m of wastewater will be released into the sea each day if the mine becomes operational again, according to authorities.

Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee Hoang Trung Dung told the session with Vinacomin that the project lacks studies on technical and scientific factors as well as assessments of its environmental impact. For this reason it is preferrable to not exploit the mine at this time.