National plan to respond to oil spills approved

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has approved a national plan to respond to oil spills.

The move aims to help promptly deal with oil spills, minimise the number of oil spills and reduce the damage by oil spills on the environment, economy and society.

The plan tackles several oil spill possibilities, such as spills from oil tankers, spills due to broken pipelines and spills at oil refinery factory, among others.

To handle oil spills, the plan pointed out major solutions, such as strengthening human resources, perfecting policies and mechanisms, enhancing international co-operation and ensuring enough facilities to deal with oil spills, he added.

The Deputy PM assigned the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search and Rescue to receive and verify information related to oil spills then issue an action plan and work with relevant units to fix the situation.

The committee was told to set up a special team with participants from ministries, sectors and localities to quickly respond to major oil spills and assist localities to fix minor oil spills, he said.

If the committee could not deal with a large oil spill, it should request Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc consider calling for international support, he said.

Dung asked the Ministry of National Defence, Coast Guards and Border Guards and the Ministry of Public Security to join hands to search and rescue people and collect floating oil if necessary.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment would take responsibility for remedying the environmental consequences caused by an oil spill, he added.

In a related development, the environment ministry issued a circular to regulate marine oil spill clean-up and recovery efforts last week. The circular will take effect from March 12.

Under the circular, an initial and preliminary assessment on the level of pollution will be made within the first 10 days after an oil spill is reported.

If the investigation shows the level of oil in the water is higher than national standards, a more detailed assessment of environmental damage will be completed within 20 days after preliminary investigation results.

Statistics show an estimated 200 million tonnes of oil are transported each year through the sea in Vietnam. About 10 oil spills are recorded annually.

VNA

Other News

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

The effectiveness of the Capital Law 2026 will be measured not by the number of legal documents issued but by tangible improvements in governance and public administration, better services for people and businesses, faster administrative procedures, stronger investment attraction and higher economic growth.

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Three teams from Chu Van An Secondary School in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province have earned First Prize honours and advanced to the quarterfinals at the ROBOG Asia Cup 2026, a regional robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) competition for students held in Hong Kong, China.

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

As of early June, Hanoi had attracted 74.6 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) through more than 9,250 valid projects. FDI inflows in the first six months were projected at 3.2 billion USD, surpassing the annual target by 116%, while nearly 16,000 new businesses were established in the first five months, up 34.4% year-on-year.

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam’s development and international integration have gone hand in hand with the improvement of its legal system, the incorporation of international commitments into domestic legislation, and legal reforms aimed at fostering development, openness and global integration. The country regards international law as an essential instrument for building fair, mutually beneficial relations among nations.

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

At the event, Hanoi authorities plan to grant investment policy decisions and investment registration certificates to 20 exemplary projects in the fields of transportation infrastructure, industrial parks, urban development, social housing, environment, science and technology, and foreign investment attraction.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Vietnam, China, Laos and Myanmar face common challenges as drug syndicates increasingly exploit the Mekong River, cross-border transport networks, e-commerce platforms, international logistics services, cyberspace and cryptocurrencies to organise drug transactions and smuggling operations.