In order to meet the material demand to help the key projects that will be implemented in the province without delay, the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province assigned relevant departments and agencies to review and re-evaluate the reserves at the mines, on that basis will redefine the total source, total demand to have a suitable balance solution.

There is a shortage of materials

According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, the Master plan on mineral resources for the period 2016-2020, with a vision to 2030 has been approved by the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province in Decision No. 30/2016/QĐ-UBND dated September 7^th 2016, then adjusted, supplemented and approved by the People's Council of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province in Resolution No. 34/2018/NQ-HDND dated December 14, 2018. According to this new master plan, the province has 60 mineral planning areas with a total area of 1,704.52 hectares, reserves of 305,050,000 m3, and 242,000 tons of peat.

However, through the results of reviewing the planning of mineral resources for the period 2016-2020 to move to the period of 2030, currently, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has removed from the planning of 18 areas with an area of 411. 08 ha due to exploiting all reserves or not being suitable with the local socio-economic development situation; at the same time, adding to the master plan 04 areas with an area of 257.6 ha. Thus, the total mine site planned for the next period is 46 areas with a total area of 1,501.04 ha, reserves of 363,387,424 m3.

As for the issue of mining licenses in the province, currently, the whole province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau has 30 valid mining licenses with a total area of 600 hectares, reserves of 79,072,402 m3; 05 cases of invalidity are undergoing procedures for renewal and re-issuance of permits, of which there are 04 cases of construction stone mining that need to renew or re-issue a new mining license with a total area of 89.69 hectares, reserves of 4,092,400 m3, exploitation capacity of 1,200,000 m3/year and there is 01 case of extension of exploitation of construction sand.

According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, currently, the source of construction stone exploited from mines is consumed in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province about 75%, the source of construction sand and leveling materials is not much, all of which serve the demand in the province. Currently, the supply is still unable to meet the demand for construction materials and leveling materials for projects and works in the province. Therefore, about 25% of the shortage of materials such as construction sand must be transferred from provinces such as Dong Nai, Binh Thuan; leveling materials transferred from the southwestern provinces.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province said: Through the review and statistics of the Departments, sectors and localities, the total demand for building materials, leveling materials for projects in the period 2022-2030 are very large. Specifically, stone of all kinds is 27,228,000 m3, construction sand is 3,756,000 m3 and soil + leveling sand is 72,170,000 m3.

However, through the balance between actual use demand and the remaining material after the review, expected to be included in the planning, there is a surplus but not much, especially greenstone, which has a large demand because meet road construction standards; construction sand is left over, but it is difficult to exploit in practice because the current land price is high, difficult to deploy; and leveling materials are missing nearly 15 million cubic meters.

Focus on finding more sources

According to the Department of Planning and Investment of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, there are 46 key projects and works in the province, of which 10 are expected to be started and completed in the period 2021-2025. Typical projects are: Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway; provincial road 994 (coastal route); road connecting to Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway (from Phu My town to Ba Ria city); Ba Ria - Vung Tau main road (from Ba Ria city to the roundabout of National Highway 51B, 51C, Vung Tau city); Hoi Bai - Phuoc Tan road (connecting National Highway 51 with Bien Hoa - Vung Tau highway); Long Son - Cai Mep road; Phuoc An Bridge project…

According to the Department of Construction of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, for key works and projects is implementing (not including irrigation works, factories, coastal resorts ...) It is expected that the demand for leveling materials is very large, so the mineral resources included in the planning, especially the leveling land and construction sand, may still not be able to meet the demand.

Therefore, in order to ensure sufficient sources of construction materials, especially leveling materials to serve key projects in particular and construction projects in the province in general, the Department of Construction has made recommendations to the Provincial People's Committee, in the upcoming period to 2030, should continue to manage well exploitation of areas and mines for leveling materials that have been licensed for mining, and at the same time urgently carry out procedures for calling and auctioning mining rights for the remaining mines to meet local needs.

In addition, surveying the source of salty sand in the sea in remote areas, outside the range of waves, ensuring that it does not affect the environment, flow, shorelines and tourism activities along the coast to add more mining planning. Currently, saline sand has been studied and applied fully to gradually replace the increasingly scarce source of construction sand and leveling materials. Besides, it is necessary to take advantage of dredging materials from projects on dredging estuaries, ports, and opening creeks on rivers and seas to partially compensate for the shortfall.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, said that: The proactive review and grasp of the situation and demand for construction materials, leveling materials, as well as the early supply of construction materials for key projects in Ba Ria - Vung Tau will make an important contribution to key infrastructure construction projects to be completed on schedule, having the effect of spreading, linking the region, promoting economic growth and social development.

Therefore, Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh requested: Department of Natural Resources and Environment urgently synthesize all comments from local departments and agencies to supplement and complete the Report on construction materials and implementation results of the Decree No. 34/2018/NQ-HDND dated December 14, 2018 of the Provincial People's Council on the search for materials to serve key works and projects in the province in the near future. Based on the report of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Party Committee of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province will hold a meeting to approve and submit to the Provincial Party Committee for consideration and direction.

Source: Baotainguyenmoitruong (E- newspaper of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment)