Hanoi  - Vietnamese authorities Wednesday ordered Taiwanese-owned condiment company Vedan Enterprise Corp to halt operations at one of its factories and fix pollution problems, making the second Vedan plant charged with environmental violations.

Last year, government inspectors found Vedan's factory in the southern province of Dong Nai was discharging untreated waste water through concealed pipes for at least 10 years, destroying the ecosystem along a stretch of the Thi Vai River.

Now authorities in the northern province of Ha Tinh say a newly opened Vedan plant is leaking diesel fuel and untreated waste into the Rao River.

"We have decided to temporarily suspend the factory's operations until it fixes its environmental problems," said Nguyen Doan Sang, director of Ha Tinh's Department for Natural Resources and Environment. "The decision is effective today."

The department's deputy director, Phan Dang Long, said Vedan's factory in Ha Tinh began trial operations on February 11. The 54-employee plant processes 100 tons of cassava per day.

Inspectors found two leaky biogas containers at the site were discharging waste into the river. The inspectors also found fuel leaks from the factory's ovens and said workers had piled untreated cassava waste on the riverbank.

"We will allow the factory one week to overcome its problems," Long said. "After that, if the factory continues to pollute the environment, we will close it."

The Vietnamese government fined Vedan 7.7 million dollars in October for the violations at its factory in Dong Nai.

Vedan is negotiating compensation with farmers affected by the pollution to avoid a potential lawsuit. (dpa)