Town To Kick-start Pollution Clean-up

[sbk]

MAP TA PHUT

Town to kick-start pollution clean-up

By: APINYA WIPATAYOTIN

Published: 11/07/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

The industrial town of Map Ta Phut will kick-start a pollution clean-up operation next month as required by pollution control zone regulations.

Rayong governor Sayomporn Limthai yesterday said the six local bodies in the Map Ta Phut area, which was declared a pollution control zone in May, had nearly completed the drafting of the plan to tackle pollution.

Local administrators have already come up with a list of pollution sources and proposed measures to tackle pollution, he said.

Under environmental law, local administration organisations in the area designated as a pollution control zone must come up with a pollution reduction plan within 120 days of the declaration.

A team of Mahidol University academics would help draft the pollution reduction plan for Map Ta Phut based on information and proposals from the local bodies and submit it for the National Environment Board's approval within the 120-day deadline which falls in August, said the governor.

''We expect to implement the pollution reduction scheme in October and within four years, we should see some improvements in Map Ta Phut's pollution situation,'' Mr Sayomporn said.

A committee of experts from various fields will be set up to monitor progress in the plan's implementation.

The governor said he was confident the plan would solve the long-lasting pollution problems in the eastern industrial town because local people have taken part in the drafting process.

He had no idea how much money would be needed to implement the plan, but financial support from the central government is crucial, especially for costly projects such as wastewater management facilities.

Mr Sayomporn said the draft plan was similar to the existing five-year pollution reduction plan for Map Ta Phut carried out by the Pollution Control Department.

The department's plan, which will run until 2011, focuses on cutting toxic gas emissions _ from sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, to carcinogenic volatile organic compounds _ cleaning up water resources, and reducing chemical waste.

-- Bangkok Post 2009/07/11