Map Ta Phut´s Pollution Under Control

[webfact]

Rayong Governor says locals live better after Map Ta Phut´s pollution under control

BANGKOK, 19 October 2009 (NNT) - Rayong governor underlined that the quality of life of citizens living near the Map Ta Phut industrial estate had increased after the designation of the area as pollution control zone.

Rayong Governor Sayoomporn Limthai said that such policy reflected the good will of the government in raising the public's quality of life. The most noticeable change since Map Ta Phut was designated as pollution control area is the development in public health funded by a government budget of 2 billion baht. The fund was used to raise the standard of clinics, increasing the caliber in which medical care can be given to the people.

The governor added that the province was preparing 300 million baht for garbage disposal and full expansion of provincial water supply. He said local administrative organizations in Rayong had submitted an action plan on decontamination in the Map Ta Phut area to the National Environment Board. The plan includes solutions to pollution problems, the development of Map Ta Phut into a clean industrial estate, and overhaul of the Map Ta Phut city planning.

In addition, the governor said for the purpose of long-term economic and human resources development, a university would be set up in Rayong province in order to generate work force with undergraduate level of education into the industrial sector.

The Map Ta Phut industrial estate was designated as pollution control area on 1 May 2009. Its 76 projects are facing suspension due to a lack of health impact assessment, raising concerns over impacts on the country's economy due to the projects' combined investment of 400 billion baht.

-- NNT 2009/10/19

[Bagwan]

Why should the Government pay for a clean up? Shouldn't the industrial concerns that have made the place a hellhole pay?

[Johpa]

Why should the Government pay for a clean up? Shouldn't the industrial concerns that have made the place a hellhole pay?

But it is the way that the corporatocracy works around the globe, keep the profits and let the masses pay for the losses and damages.

[jasreeve17]

I agree with the above two comments.

This release is as funny as usual...

Paragraph 1: the governer says that the quality of life for people living in this area has improved.

Paragraph 2: the governer states that it has improved primarily because healthcare has improved, no other examples given...

Paragraph 3: says that they have many plans; nothing done yet...

Paragraph 4: talks about starting up a uni.

Paragraph 5: talks about more planned projects.

So, what has improved? How has the quality of life improved? Well, it hasn't, but now the facilities to treat the sick people are better. Hardly dealing with the cause of the problem is it?

[tomloughney]

The companies at any industrial estate operate under the rules of that estate. The management of the estate and the government set the rules. If you don't comply with the rules you have a problem.

Some places the rules are really good, Europe and Japan for example. Other places like China the rules are not very strong concerning the environment or people.

Thailand is in the middle but plagued by corruption.

Multinational companies are generally good citizens locally for fear of problems in their home country.

Nike has wonderful factories compared to many local companies in Asia, but not good based on requirements in the EU.

The Mataput problem is that you can not comply if the rules change. So you can not design and build if you do not know what the target is to be. Even worse if you agree to a target and then start to construct, but then you are told that the target MAY change and you should stop until and if we decide on a new target, which you can not even know if you can comply with, it is not possible to do business.

Example was when Thailand was considering the banning of nominees in companies and was planning to make it retroactive. That can not be done. Impossible! You can ban them in the future but not go back to the past.

Chewing gum in Singapore is a crime, however to arrest those who had chewed gum before the law took effect would be absurd, but that is the same thing in the Mataput case. You can and should set standards based on current technology and information, but you can not make it retroactive.

[dkstoney]

For fear of getting warned again by the thought police and suspended for a day I won't name the unnameable, but considering which companies owned by "you-know-who" are being hindered by this environmental hoopla, is it any surprise that he would come out and say this?

GET ON YOUR KNEES, PEASANTS! FATHER IS UNHAPPY AND MIGHT BE LOSING FACE! YOU WILL HAPPILY BREATHE AND CONSUME CARCINOGENS IN YOUR FOOD AND WATER SO THAT THE GREAT ONE MAY INCREASE HIS EVER-GROWING TAX-FREE WEALTH! ACCEPT YOUR TUMORS AND BIRTH DEFECTS IN HIS ALL-MIGHTY NAME!

[thaihome]

...have made the place a hellhole..?

Just curious, but have you ever been inside the Estate or even driven through the Map Tha Phut community?

TH