Pollution-Related Hospitalization Cases Jump 50%, Rayong Official Claims

[Rimmer]

Pollution-related hospitalization cases jump 50%, Rayong official claims

RAYONG:--Rayong residents seeking medical care due to effects from industrial pollution and poisoning increased 50 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, according to a provincial public health official.

Dr. Krit Pansuth told Deputy Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew during a visit to Rayong Hospital Jan. 25, that newsjshigher pollution concentrations have boosted by half the number of patients in Rayong hospitals.

Krit blamed the increase on expansion at Hemraj Chonburi Industrial Estate in Pluak Daeng, which now boasts more than 60 factories. He said the area lacks a sufficient number of health-care centers.

Full story:http://www.pattayama...al-claims-21828

-- Pattaya Mail 2013-02-07

[Thai Dreamer]

1 word, Mat A Put

[banchang]

That's 3

[banchang]

Map Ta phut

[huangnon]

1 word, Mat A Put

Three locations: Laem Chabang, Map ta Phut, and Rayong itself are the hub of oil production / refining in Thailand. The large petrochemical industries set up downstream (plastics, acrylics, pvc's, etc) around the main refineries cause most of the pollution.

The plants were mainly built and commissioned to a high quality, but are now around 17 years old and showing their age a bit. Not to mention mis-managed and poorly-maintained in lots of cases as well.

[canman]

It's the short cuts they take and the endemic corruption which exists within the govenment complience regime which IMHO is the main problem. Yes the plants were built in most cases to world standards but there is money to be saved by short cutting the emissions controls. Filtering and cleaning the waste costs money. I know a senior project manager who was in charge of some plant additions and upgrades in Map Ta Put and he related some scary stories to me. On one occasion he had put in an order for filtration and chemical consumables used to treat plant waste. The plant manager cut the order to almost nothing. He managed to get a face to face with the plant manager to explain that it was prudent to have a good inventory of these items as some can be long lead time in ordering. The plant manager explained to him that they do not use very much of these expensive items as the treatment plant only runs on government environment department inspection days.

My mate lasted 3 months on the job and then pulled the pin saying he simply did not want to be a part of it.