Locals Up In Arms Over Toxic Waste Dumps

[Lite Beer]

SPECIAL REPORT

Locals up in arms over toxic waste dumps

Thanapat Kitjakosol

The Nation on Sunday

A village water source heavily contaminated by toxic leaks.

CHACHOENGSAO: -- Toxic leaks at many garbage disposal sites in Chachoengsao province have upset nearby residents due to treatment methods that appear to be ineffective.

Locals have been kept anxious over whether - or when - two relevant agencies will employ appropriate measures to be put an end to their misery. The sites cause a strong and horrible stench, as well as fumes that cause rashes to people's skin. Leaks are also killing cattle and poultry at many villages in Phanom Sarakham and Plaeng Yao districts, where the 11 sites are located.

Water sources and farmland have been contaminated by a number of toxic substances, such as carcinogenic phenol at a level 30 times the safety limit. The 11 sites are located in northern areas of Chachoengsao, which on higher ground. This had resulted in contamination spreading to southern parts of the province, village leaders said. Toxic waste has secretly been discharged into water resources for more than seven years, but the situation was made worse by the dumping of a massive amount of waste at the sites in February, when locals began to voice alarm at adverse impacts they had endured.

The disposal of toxic waste prompted a number of rallies, and complaints were later lodged to authorities at the provincial level up to the central government, including the PM's Office Ministry and the Department of Special Investigation.

In one incident in February, villagers confronted a convoy of trucks queuing to dump waste, and seized two vehicles, which they took to a police station.

Pig breeder Duangduen Srimalai said his animals suffered regular miscarriages, which resulted in only four to five piglets surviving instead of 15-20. Fish in many farms have also died in large numbers. And rubber trees also yielded much lesser milk, said tapper Lamun Klinnuch, who noted that many tappers had moved because they couldn't stand the stench from the waste dumps.

A retiree, Manas Sawasdee, who owns a rubber plantation and a fish farm, said rubber productivity had dropped nearly 100 per cent and his fish mostly died. He said a mango plantation near one dump site that exports fruit could be affected in the future, if importers know about the toxic leaks or detect contamination in the mangoes.

KSD Recycle Co Ltd, which operates the garbage disposal, rents land plots of various sizes and turns them into huge craters. The toxic waste is dumped in these and they are covered temporarily with clay, while treatment gets underway at one site at a time - a method which the Pollution Control Department (PCD) disputes.

PCD director-general Wichean Jungrungrueng said this method of treatment would only expand contamination and leaks would keep seeping underground and leave nearby villagers in agony. Treatment at individual sites was required for lengthy periods.

This method is only done, however, once it is endorsed by the Department of Industrial Works, which has its own regulations.

A senior DIW official, Sawai Rojjanasupphareuk, said the department was evaluating the treatment method performed by Siam West Service Co Ltd, a subsidiary of KSD. These firms are reported to have turned down offers for solutions and contracts from other waste companies nominated earlier by village leaders and local administrative bodies.

Sawai said the capacity of treatment at the Chachoengsao sites had to be increased to speed up the process - and done in parallel at all other sites. "All liquid waste and garbage mass must also be treated before they are dumped permanently somewhere else," he stressed. Siam Waste Service Co would be replaced by a new company if it was unable to follow this method, he said, without giving details on a timeframe. Sawai also welcomed a joint inspection of the method by the PCD.

Siam Waste Service manager Weerawan Saisuwan said small cells needed to be built at one large disposal site before treatment was conducted at individual cells, because it was safer for workers. But the operation should not last longer than two months.

Health threat

Without proper treatment, garbage disposal at 11 sites in Chachoengsao province is producing a strong stench and fumes. Also, a number of toxic substances are contaminating water sources and farmland. Polluted water tested in August by Testtech Co found they contained carcinogenic or toxic chemicals 20-30 times above the safety limits. They include:

Phenol 29.14mg/L (Limit: 1mg/L)

Zinc 31.16mg/L (Limit: less than 5mg/L)

Copper 3.53mg/L (Limit: less than 2mg/L)

Chromium 1.66mg/L (Limit: less than 0.75mg/L)

-- The Nation 2012-09-09

[theblether]

Quite frankly......diabolical. Any government or politician worth their salt would be pouring resources into this. No excuse......get it fixed.

[dcutman]

Another "Amazing Thailand" story.

KSD Recycle Co Ltd, which operates the garbage disposal, rents land plots of various sizes and turns them into huge craters. The toxic waste is dumped in these and they are covered temporarily with clay, while treatment gets underway at one site at a time - a method which the Pollution Control Department (PCD) disputes.

Dumping toxic waste in a large hole in the ground (temporary?) is not ever a good idea.IMO. I am assuming these toxic substances get dumped in these holes indiscriminately without regard to their toxicity and how they could react to other toxic chemicals when combined with another.

I can also assume that these "crater's" are not lined with anything to prevent leaching in to natural waterways and ground water sources.

Absolutely scary!

[BookMan]

KSD Recycle Co Ltd, which operates the garbage disposal, rents land plots of various sizes and turns them into huge craters. The toxic waste is dumped in these and they are covered temporarily with clay, while treatment gets underway at one site at a time - a method which the Pollution Control Department (PCD) disputes.

PCD director-general Wichean Jungrungrueng said this method of treatment would only expand contamination and leaks would keep seeping underground and leave nearby villagers in agony. Treatment at individual sites was required for lengthy periods.

This is just burying the waste, not treating it.

The company has no intention of treating the waste. The toxic blend of chemicals will leach through the soil into the waterway sand surrounding farmlands making the land unusable for years to come. By that stage the government will declare it too expensive to fix the problem

[LuckyLew]

Always thought Thailand was one big cesspool

but this is taking it to the next level.

Thais always seem to feel they can do what they

want when they want, dump where ever they can.

Green thinking is not a Thai strong point

[dcutman]

KSD Recycle Co Ltd, which operates the garbage disposal, rents land plots of various sizes and turns them into huge craters. The toxic waste is dumped in these and they are covered temporarily with clay, while treatment gets underway at one site at a time - a method which the Pollution Control Department (PCD) disputes.

PCD director-general Wichean Jungrungrueng said this method of treatment would only expand contamination and leaks would keep seeping underground and leave nearby villagers in agony. Treatment at individual sites was required for lengthy periods.

This is just burying the waste, not treating it.

The company has no intention of treating the waste. The toxic blend of chemicals will leach through the soil into the waterway sand surrounding farmlands making the land unusable for years to come. By that stage the government will declare it too expensive to fix the problem

Bookman

As disturbing as your reply is, I believe you are correct.

[jaltsc]

And we haven't yet seen the long term effects on health and resulting birth defects. This deplorable situation is nothing more than an industry's greed to maximize its profits by lowering its operating costs. This type of situation is more destructive than an invading army, for the enemy is invisible and the destructive results only appear long after the initial act. As is the case in other countries where this situation has occurred, major industry might find it cheaper to pay off those in charge of policing the environment than taking effective actions to prevent the poisoning of its own citizens.

[Woodcaulk]

Another "Amazing Thailand" story.

Absolutely scary!

Scary now....soon to be deadly

[asiawatcher]

Of all the contentious issues in Thailand this is a disgusting example of the Govt turning a blind eye to a very lethal and urgent problem. And they still demand environmental impact studies when this crap exists... What? Charge or pay for the study and show protocol of having complied yet ignore all else? <deleted>...

[thequietman]

Of all the contentious issues in Thailand this is a disgusting example of the Govt turning a blind eye to a very lethal and urgent problem. And they still demand environmental impact studies when this crap exists... What? Charge or pay for the study and show protocol of having complied yet ignore all else? <deleted>...

Money is changing hands and so for now, this is not a problem.

When the teamoney dries up, then it becomes a problem.

when that will be, who knows. It happens everyday here but this one makes me sick to my stomach.

[Thait Spot]

The porosity of the soil in the whole Chao Phraya delta means this practise is very dangerous.

Given that most people use well water puts it right back into the food chain.

Given some if the chemicals stated, this waste contains industrial refuse

[Pib]

Thai's in general have a "mai pen rai" attitude about garbage disposal. Throwing it onto their neighbor's land when the neighbor is not looking or a moobaan common area is not uncommon....and dumbing garbage/tree cutting/etc., in a remote area or along the road is also very common. And everyone knows plastic bags are meant to be thrown on the ground. A lot of this problem comes from the govt not providing disposal sites, garbage cans, nor garbage pickup in many locations....and I think we all know how hard it can be sometimes to find a trashcan even in a mall.

[MESmith]

Thai's in general have a "mai pen rai" attitude about garbage disposal. Throwing it onto their neighbor's land when the neighbor is not looking or a moobaan common area is not uncommon....and dumbing garbage/tree cutting/etc., in a remote area or along the road is also very common. And everyone knows plastic bags are meant to be thrown on the ground. A lot of this problem comes from the govt not providing disposal sites, garbage cans, nor garbage pickup in many locations....and I think we all know how hard it can be sometimes to find a trashcan even in a mall.

Our nearest village has rubbish collection, but some prefer to burn their plastics or dump it in the irrigation canals feeding their own rice fields, for burning later

[canopy]

This may be drifting slightly off topic, but my village does not have garbage collection either. Locals burn plastics and rubbish or dump it into national forests. God forbid any yard clippings go back to the soil naturally, they are all burned methodically. And of course throwing out food containers and bottles along every road is the accepted and ideal practice for kids and grownups alike since after all there are no garbage containers in homes, businesses, public, anywhere. I discovered by feeling out to the locals, the mayor and the governor of the area no one even wants garbage collection. The horrible air quality and junk thrown everywhere is for all practical purposes invisible to them. They don't care. And we aren't even talking about what they do to their fields.

[dcutman]

And we haven't yet seen the long term effects on health and resulting birth defects. This deplorable situation is nothing more than an industry's greed to maximize its profits by lowering its operating costs. This type of situation is more destructive than an invading army, for the enemy is invisible and the destructive results only appear long after the initial act. As is the case in other countries where this situation has occurred, major industry might find it cheaper to pay off those in charge of policing the environment than taking effective actions to prevent the poisoning of its own citizens.

Water sources and farmland have been contaminated by a number of toxic substances, such as carcinogenic phenol at a level 30 times the safety limit. The 11 sites are located in northern areas of Chachoengsao, which on higher ground. This had resulted in contamination spreading to southern parts of the province, village leaders said. Toxic waste has secretly been discharged into water resources for more than seven years, but the situation was made worse by the dumping of a massive amount of waste at the sites in February, when locals began to voice alarm at adverse impacts they had endured.

It is obvious that this secret dumping has not been so secret. Somebody has known it has been going on for 7 years. I suspect many (or all) of the local villagers have known about this since the first day of starting, until it has started hitting their bottom line in profits has anyone had any real concern. Of course it will be all brushed under the rug, as it did at Map Ta Put industrial estate.

[jerrysteve]

HEY this is Thailand...MAI PEN RAI.... Get over IT...MAI PEN RAI

[Tanaka]

Watch the film Erin Brocowitch. It pretty much covers this issue. Has anyone in these villages checked with local hospitals to see any increase in cancer forms in villagers? It will come.

[belg]

treament method : burn the all dam_n thing, is what thais seem to like to much : free for them, the pollution, the cancer and others = free for you

[phiphidon]

Of all the contentious issues in Thailand this is a disgusting example of the Govt turning a blind eye to a very lethal and urgent problem. And they still demand environmental impact studies when this crap exists... What? Charge or pay for the study and show protocol of having complied yet ignore all else? <deleted>...

Just this government?

[asiawatcher]

Of all the contentious issues in Thailand this is a disgusting example of the Govt turning a blind eye to a very lethal and urgent problem. And they still demand environmental impact studies when this crap exists... What? Charge or pay for the study and show protocol of having complied yet ignore all else? <deleted>...

Just this government?

Of course - not ... Govt's plural - they all suck. But this all simply comes down to education of both individuals and people. But of course the point they miss is the massive fines they could impose or accept the tea money - obviously, they have missed both so far.

[phiphidon]

Of course - not ... Govt's plural - they all suck. But this all simply comes down to education of both individuals and people. But of course the point they miss is the massive fines they could impose or accept the tea money - obviously, they have missed both so far.

The sad thing here is that the firm involved are half way to understanding the problem

Siam Waste Service manager Weerawan Saisuwan said small cells needed to be built at one large disposal site before treatment was conducted at individual cells, because it was safer for workers

but doesn't seem to connect this safety concern to the people who live nearby, after a days working his guys walk away from the site!

[puipuitom]

And then... VERY astonished, when aluminium contamination in rice product is MUCH higher as from others ( my Thai supplier: below detection limit of 1 mg/kg: These at least 30 - 67 - 180 times as high )

Rice vermicelli = 90% rice flour, max 10 % water, no additives.

What you think of the Thai rice from the same area, this rice flour is made of ?

With some luck, you can "press a aluminium cooking pan out of it".

AND THEN... VERY astonished when at aging life you get health problems.. like littlebit Alzheimer ? ?

I stopped to import rice from Thailand, as till now, NOBODY even could show me any test reports of aluminium contamination in Thai rice. Maybe Buddha knows, what for a rubbish is in.

Better buy rice from Italy and Spain, and with that I contribute help €uro to overcome the difficulties.

Below EU food autorities border rejects from RASFF. Shipments refused by private buyers, nobody knows.

border rejection 08/11/2011 2011.CFQ FI high content of aluminium (30 mg/kg - ppm) in vermicelli rice from Thailand

border rejection 26/04/2011 2011.AWJ FI high content of aluminium (67 mg/kg dry matter) in rice noodles from Thailand

border rejection 20/12/2010 2010.CGW FI high content of aluminium (180 mg/kg - ppm) in rice noodle from Thailand

Edited September 9, 2012 by puipuitom

[Thait Spot]

Of all the contentious issues in Thailand this is a disgusting example of the Govt turning a blind eye to a very lethal and urgent problem. And they still demand environmental impact studies when this crap exists... What? Charge or pay for the study and show protocol of having complied yet ignore all else? <deleted>...

Just this government?

Yeah but! Yeah but! Yawn