Abstract:

Ha Nam is a province in the Northern Delta but up to 17% of the area is distributed with limestone. Mining and processing of limestone for cement production, industrial lime (light powder) and use as construction materials is increasing to meet the needs of socio-economic development. This activity has contributed significantly to local development but also has a negative impact on the environment, landscape and public health. According to statistics, at present, in Kim Bang and Thanh Liem districts, there are more than 80 active quarries with the capacity of exploiting more than 50 million tons / year (equivalent to about 20 million m3 of raw stone / year), there are 08 cement plants (under the planning, there will be 7 cement projects to be invested) with a capacity of 13 million tons / year, making Ha Nam the leading province in the country of cement production, and currently available nearly 30 industrial lime production establishments (according to the Plan will cease operation in 2019 and invest in 4 new facilities with high mechanization capacity and large capacity). The paper summarized and analyzed the current status of limestone mining, processing and utilization in Ha Nam province, at the same time, also analyzing and assessing the impact of activities on the environment, landscape, public health and propose other solutions to link activities with environmental protection and sustainable development.