Dong Thap will strengthen the review and inspection of the automatic water and exhaust gas monitoring system (Illustrative image).

To implement urgent and decisive tasks to prevent and address environmental pollution, Dong Thap province has focused on strengthening leadership and guidance in environmental protection; raising awareness and promoting action on environmental protection; and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of the environment.

Along with that, emphasis is placed on preventing, controlling, and mitigating sources of pollution; promoting the implementation of economic policies and diversifying resources for environmental protection. Dong Thap focuses on implementing economic policies and mobilizing resources for environmental protection. To date, 37 out of 44 facilities have installed automatic, continuous waste monitoring systems and transmitted data directly. The province is also gradually implementing plans for green energy transition in the transportation sector, aiming to use electric buses in the coming period. 

Recently, the Provincial People's Committee issued a directive regarding the review, inspection, and monitoring of the automated water and air pollution monitoring system in the province. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate with relevant departments, agencies, and localities to directly manage the highest-level administrative accounts (Admin, Master, Supervisor, etc.) of the data logger device in accordance with the regulations in Article 39 of Circular No. 10/2021/TT-BTNMT to strictly control administrative rights and ensure the security of the data receiving, transmitting, and managing system (data logger). 

In addition, there is a document requiring facilities to conduct inspections using valid reference standards, linked to the standards as prescribed in the regulations on measurement; assess the accuracy of the automatic, continuous monitoring system; fully record errors and handle them according to the provisions of Articles 35 and 38 of Circular No. 10/2021/TT-BTNMT (completion time before May 15, 2026).

Enhanced security, sealing, and system monitoring (completion time in May 2026) includes the following main points: Checking the sealing of equipment connection ports according to regulations. Reviewing the camera system at the facility's monitoring system, ensuring there is one camera inside the station to observe the equipment's data controller for security purposes as required, ensuring camera data is stored for a minimum of 3 months and transmitted to the Department of Agriculture and Environment for verification when necessary.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology and other relevant units, will conduct quality control and assess the relative accuracy (RA) of the system at several large-scale facilities with high pollution risks for comparative monitoring; and will cooperate with an independent organization with sufficient capacity to assess the relative accuracy (RA) as stipulated in Clause 6, Article 35 and Clause 6, Article 38 of Circular No. 10/2021/TT-BTNMT.

If the discrepancies exceed the prescribed limits, data recognition will be temporarily suspended; the entire system will be required to be calibrated according to regulations, and the conversion factor set in the system will be recorded for continued management. Any changes related to the coefficients set on the equipment must be reported by the facility to the Department of Agriculture and Environment for monitoring and management (completion time by July 2026).

The inspection will cover all facilities in Dong Thap province that have installed continuous automatic wastewater and exhaust gas monitoring systems (to be completed by July 2026), including: checking operating logs and equipment logs (event logs) to detect unusual changes; identifying times when conversion factors were adjusted; clarifying and distinguishing between adjusting technical factors to compensate for zero/span deviations after verification and calibration and intentionally setting factors to falsify data.

Inspect wastewater and sample pipelines: conduct on-site inspections of wastewater and sample pipelines from the sampling point to the analysis chamber; take decisive action in accordance with regulations if any intentional sample dilution, wastewater flow interference, or improper installation of bypass systems or underground pipelines is detected.

Where necessary, certain facilities may coordinate with inspection and calibration units to check sensor probes and analytical equipment; ensuring no technical interference occurs; and preventing the injection of inert gas or other substances into the analytical chamber to falsify measurement results. In cases of intentional fraud or data falsification, strict legal action should be taken, and the case should be transferred to the police if there are signs of criminal activity.

 https://thiennhienmoitruong.vn