• Environmental records are documents and legal procedures to evaluate and determine the impact of a project on the environment before implementation or during operation. This record helps us apply environmental laws to the project.
• Since the 2020 Environmental Protection Law was introduced, promulgated together with Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP and Circular 02/2022/TT-BTNMT and effective from January 10, 2022, every A series of amended and supplemented regulations have made many businesses quite confused about preparing environmental records.
• Understand customers' concerns and worries. Now, the Institute of Community Environmental Technology would like to send to customers the necessary information about the environmental records that production, business and service establishments need to carry out according to ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LAW 2020.

1. Environmental records according to new regulations

1.1. For projects that have not yet been put into operation

Before implementing the construction of new investment projects, expanding investments, increasing capacity of production, business and service establishments depending on scale and industry, environmental records will be prepared as follows:

- Environmental impact assessment

Applicable to Projects belonging to Group I Investment Projects specified in Clause 3, Article 28 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and Group II Investment Projects specified in Clause 4, Article 28 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 issued on November 17, 2020, effective from January 1, 2022.

- Environmental permit

Applicable to projects subject to regulations in Article 39 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 issued on November 17, 2020, effective from January 1, 2022.

- Environmental registration

Applicable to projects specified in Clause 1, Article 49 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 issued on November 17, 2020, effective from January 1, 2022.

- Test operation of waste treatment works

Applicable to projects with waste treatment works, after being granted an environmental license, trial operation of the waste treatment work must be carried out concurrently with the trial operation of the entire project. investment or for each investment phase of the project (if any) or for independent waste treatment works of the project to evaluate the suitability and compliance with environmental technical regulations.

1.2. With the project already in operation

After going into official operation, production, business and service establishments must carry out environmental records such as:

- Periodic environmental monitoring

Carry out periodically according to commitments in the Environmental Profile (Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Protection Plan, Detailed Environmental Protection Project,...)

- Report on environmental protection work

Regulated in Circular 02/2022/TT – BTNMT. This report integrates the Enterprise's annual reports such as: Environmental monitoring report, automatic monitoring report, HW management report, HW management report, Waste management report Common industrial solids, Scrap management reports, Mineral exploitation reports.

- Application for underground water exploitation

Applicable to establishments operating in Vietnam with activities related to the exploitation of underground water > 10 m3/day and night according to Decree 201/2013/ND-CP Detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Water Resources.

- Application for surface water exploitation

According to Decree 201/2013/ND-CP detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Water Resources, cases requiring registration and application for water exploitation licenses are as follows:

Exploitation of surface water for agricultural production and aquaculture with a scale of 0.1m3/sec or more

Exploiting surface water for business, service and non-agricultural production purposes is not less than 100m3/day and night;

Exploit and use surface water to generate electricity with an installed capacity of 50 kW or more;

- Contract for transportation and treatment of hazardous waste

For production, business and service establishments that generate hazardous waste, collectively referred to as the Hazardous Waste Source Owner, must sign a contract to transfer hazardous waste with an organization or individual with a License to practice Hazardous Waste Management. .

2. Reasons why businesses should carry out environmental records

Implementing environmental records is an important part of production and business activities, but also an important task for businesses. To fulfill this responsibility, businesses need to carry out environmental records to ensure environmental factors in production and business activities.

Environmental records are a legal requirement that businesses must comply with, requiring businesses to build and maintain environmental records to ensure that business operations do not harm the environment.

Implementing environmental records shows that businesses are making positive commitments and actions to protect the environment, thereby creating trust and increasing reliability from customers and the community.

Environmental records are one of the important legal procedures that businesses need to carry out to ensure smooth and effective production and business activities.

Failure to carry out environmental records as prescribed by law can lead to administrative sanctions and even criminal prosecution.