Samut Prakan Tanning Factories Threatened With Legal Action

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SAMUT PRAKARN

Tanning factories threatened with legal action

By Siranthorn Moonuetok,

Janjira Pongrai

The Nation

The Stop Global Warming Association is threatening to file a civil lawsuit against tanning factories in Samut Prakan province if they fail to ease the problem of foul odours in the area. The association's president, Srisuwan Janya, issued the threat yesterday after inspecting the Bang Pu area along with relevant officials. The inspection took place after Greenpeace Southeast Asia filed a complaint about factories polluting the area.

"Though the wastewater treatment system is in line with international standards, there is still a lot of room for improvements," Srisuwan said.

He advised that animal hides should be transported to warehouses in closed trucks and wastewater should be channelled to the central wastewater-treatment plant via a closed system.

Srisuwan vowed to send his recommendations to Industry Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat and Samut Prakan industry chief Banjong Jiarapong today. He said he expected to see results in the next 30 days or else he would help affected people seek compensation in court.

Banyong said his office had never ignored the problem, but the foul smell was simply part of the tanning business.

"All relevant parties should talk to find a way out together," he said.

Meanwhile, chairperson of the Thai Tanning Industry Association, Pranee Kuruwerukorn, said the association had taken many measures to cut down on pollution in the Bang Pu area.

"I think locals who have been here for a long time understand us. New residents may not understand that the strong smell only lasts for a short time," she said, adding that her association's measures had even won praise from foreign countries.

Pranee insisted that the association would keep trying to ease the pollution problem. "We want to make sure the factories and locals can co-exist happily," she said.

There are about 70 tanning factories in the Bang Pu area.

Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department said it was closely monitoring water quality in Samut Prakan because the quality of the seawater along the coast had been worsening over time and had too much coliform bacteria, phosphate and nitrate.

-- The Nation 2011-01-12

[Kilgore Trout]

Driven past there many times; smells of cat urine

[Payboy]

the strong smell only lasts for a short time

Hey that's my line - when I fart in the library.

[Ijustwannateach]

According to a friend of mine who is a local resident, it is commonly known that although the cleaning/air filtering mechanisms for many factories in the area *are* usually up to international standards, they simply aren't employed unless inspectors are watching (it saves money on power, consumables, etc.).

[Scott]

I taught English at a factory in Samut Prakarn (no tanning factories nearby that I know of). They had a state-of-the-art pollution control system installed to prevent the huge amounts of dust and pollutants that went into the air. In the roughly 3 hours that I was there in the evening, the vehicle would be covered in dust. The first day the system was on, The air was as pure as a national park. The vehicle had no dust on it.

The following day, the system was off and to the best of my knowledge has never been turned on again. I am sure when the gov't officials come around it is turned on.

[Humphrey Bear]

When I was working on the roof of Swampy airport arrival/departure areas (not the terminal building itself, but the long corridors and lounges and jetways), we had a factory down in Bang Phu.

Several tanning facories adjacent, but no really noxious smells. After all, it's an industrial area, zoning should keep residents at a reasonable distance from the factories, but there's even a fancy golf club in the area.

[asiawatcher]

Having rural tanneries in urban areas is sheer stupidity anyway. Also you would think with Ancient Siam right next door and the tourists complain all the time about the smell, they would make the complaint as they already also owners of the largest insurance company in Thailand and members of parliament.