Environmental impact assessment approved for $4.2 billion mega project
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has approved the evaluation report on the environmental impact of the “Smart City” project in Vinh Ngoc commune, Hai Boi commune, and Kim No commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has approved the evaluation report on the environmental impact of the Smart City project in Bac Ha Hanoi.
According to the decision, the project will invest in the construction of technical infrastructure and residential buildings, schools, offices, commercial services, and public facilities on an area of 271.45 hectares, with a population scale of 25,741 people (excluding 100 people from the Hai Boi relocation area).
Specifically, the project will invest in the construction and commercial operation of residential buildings (low-rise, high-rise, mixed), schools: Phase 1 construction of 60 adjacent houses, 247 villas, one apartment building, 9 mixed-use buildings, 2 secondary schools, 2 primary schools, and 3 kindergartens.
In Phase 2, construction of 209 villas and one kindergarten will take place. In Phase 3, the project will construct 4 mixed-use buildings, one kindergarten, and one international school.
In Phase 4, the developer will construct 7 mixed-use buildings and one secondary school. Phase 5 will involve the construction of a 108-story mixed-use financial and residential center.
Regarding sensitive environmental factors, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment stated that the project has a need to convert the land use purpose of about 210 hectares, including over 150 hectares of paddy fields, nearly 29 hectares of aquaculture, over 7 hectares of annual crops, over 1 hectare of industrial land, warehouses, docks, over 3 hectares of cemeteries, and 3 hectares of residential land for more than 100 households (45 households subject to relocation, resettlement) in Hai Boi commune.
The land use conversion activities will reduce the area of rice cultivation, affecting the livelihoods, business activities, and production of organizations and individuals in the area.
Therefore, the ministry requires the project owner to closely coordinate with the local authorities to carry out compensation and land clearance in accordance with regulations, implement measures to support stable production and vocational training for local people.
The investor must apply appropriate technical measures and construction organization to minimize impact on the landscape, environment, ecosystem, and existing facilities.
The construction must adhere to the approved design; periodically monitor the risks of subsidence and cracking of the project’s buildings during the construction process.
At the same time, operate the wastewater collection network and 5 pumping stations to transfer wastewater to the Bac Thang Long – Van Tri wastewater treatment plant. Discharging wastewater into the environment is not permitted in the event of a malfunction at this plant.
Limit the use of many machines and equipment on the construction site at the same time; reduce the speed of vehicles passing through densely populated areas, sensitive areas such as Vinh Ngoc Primary School, Long Hung Pagoda, etc.
Locations that may be affected (religious constructions, schools, agency headquarters, Hai Boi relocation area), Phuong Trach village in the North and South of the project, houses located near the material transportation and waste transportation route (Bac Thang Long – Vuc De road), etc., need to be monitored for the surrounding environment to timely adjust measures to minimize the impact of dust appropriately.
Reviewing the height of the 108-story tower
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also requires the investor and the functional agencies to take measures to minimize the impact on the flight operations of Noi Bai International Airport.
The 108-story financial center tower is part of the overall Smart City project in Bac Ha Hanoi.
In particular, the project owner must closely coordinate with the Combat Department (General Staff of the Ministry of National Defense) and the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Transport) to review, evaluate in detail, and report to the competent authority on the height of the financial and commercial center.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in order to minimize the impact of construction on the flight systems related to Noi Bai Airport, the financial and commercial center project will only be built with a height approved by the competent authority in accordance with the provisions of the law.
In the process of implementing the subsequent design steps after the basic design, the project owner is responsible for continued coordination with the relevant agencies to provide additional information about the financial and commercial mixed-use buildings (especially the coordinate points of the buildings) as specified in the Official Dispatch No. 7442/2023 of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.
Construction is only allowed at the location and in the height permitted or approved by the competent authority in accordance with the provisions of the law.
