Toxic smog alert near garbage fire in Samut Prakan

[webfact]

POLLUTION
Toxic smog alert near garbage fire
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- TOXIC SMOG from a landfill in Samut Prakan is threatening the health of both local residents and people working nearby - and officials believe the fire could burn for another five days.

Caretaker Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk has threatened to file charges against the operator of the landfill. He said details from the provincial industry office showed the 150-rai dump was operated by Kromphol Samutsakhon, under a licence that expired in 2011.

"The operator is liable to charges related to the Factory Act BE2535," Prasert said. He added that if the operator was found guilty, punishment included both a jail term and a fine.

The Public Health Ministry has declared 500 metres on all sides of the site as a "red zone". The amount of sulphur dioxide was more than 5 parts-per-million (ppm), well over the designated standard of 0.2 ppm. All residents in the zone are being asked to evacuate.

While evacuation is underway for residents - firemen, officials and reporters are braving the pollution to carry out their duties. There was speculation that industrial waste from Bang Pu Industrial Estate was dumped at the site. As a result, when the fire broke out on Sunday, it created smoke dangerous to nearby citizens.

Samut Prakan public-health chief Namphol Danpipat said yesterday that people living within 200 metres of the site, as well as firemen or anyone with long exposure to the smog must undergo a medical check.

He said that if the results looked disturbing, these people might also be subject to cancer-risk tests.

"In addition to locals, firemen and reporters on the spot should get health checks at the Samut Prakan Hospital," Pollution Control Department (PCD) director-general Wichian Jungrungreon said.

The Public Health Ministry has already declared the area within a 1-kilometre radius of the landfill, outside the "red zone", a "yellow zone".

"Pregnant women, babies, elderly people and people with chronic ailments such as heart diseases should get out of the yellow zone," Namphol said. He said areas beyond the 1-km radius were considered "green zones".

"People in the green zones should react as they see appropriate," Namphol said.

Yesterday, smog seemed to ease in the morning and early afternoon. Compared with the situation on Monday, locals reported a less intense smell and reduced smog.

However, by late afternoon, even people living in Bang Na district could see the smog clearly and experience the strong smell.

According to the PCD, air-quality tests at a spot one kilometre from the landfill site showed there were as many as 354 micrograms of small dust particles, or PM10 per cubic metre of air.

"This is three times higher than the safe limit of 120 micrograms," Wichian said. Such a level of PM10 could be very dangerous, especially to people with respiratory diseases. "These dust particles can deposit in their lungs and cause cancer risks," he explained.

Samut Prakan Governor Kanit Ieamrahong said efforts to extinguishing the fire at the site were progressing well.

"We have received help from various authorities. We even have helicopters spraying water down from above," he said. But he believed it would take five more days to completely put the blaze out.

Kontanya Chormali, the owner of a goods factory in Samut Prakan, said he had closed his facility down for three days already because of the threatening smog.

-- The Nation 2014-03-19

[EvilDrSomkid]

This morning you can smell the smoke even as far as upper Khannayao. Even further north than that, too.

[Yunla]

I live fairly close to this dump, and the air is like thick fog and stinks of burning plastic. If I switch off the aircon, I can smell the burning plastic through the closed windows. We have been told that while we are not being evacuated now, if it gets a lot worse we might be.

Also my local Thai friend group have speculated that the fire was started deliberately, or that there were discarded bomb-making items which then ignited by accident. This cloud of smog is highly toxic, and it would count as a poison attack on a large section of Bangkok, a city despised by certain militant types. As this is the largest dump fire ever recorded in Thailand (according to one report I read) it is obviously not normal occurrence and some people are asking if this was a sort of toxic strike against citizens living and working here. I never reach conclusions unless there is evidence, which of course will not be possible to get in this case, but I do wonder about this event especially when I can't go outside at all for X number of days.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Yunla

[yourauntbob]

I live fairly close to this dump, and the air is like thick fog and stinks of burning plastic. If I switch off the aircon, I can smell the burning plastic through the closed windows. We have been told that while we are not being evacuated now, if it gets a lot worse we might be.

Also my local Thai friend group have speculated that the fire was started deliberately, or that there were discarded bomb-making items which then ignited by accident. This cloud of smog is highly toxic, and it would count as a poison attack on a large section of Bangkok, a city despised by certain militant types. As this is the largest dump fire ever recorded in Thailand (according to one report I read) it is obviously not normal occurrence and some people are asking if this was a sort of toxic strike against citizens living and working here. I never reach conclusions unless there is evidence, which of course will not be possible to get in this case, but I do wonder about this event especially when I can't go outside at all for X number of days.

what are you waiting for? get out of there!

[yourauntbob]

""The operator is liable to charges related to the Factory Act BE2535," Prasert said. He added that if the operator was found guilty, punishment included both a jail term and a fine."

no chance anyone is going to take any repsonsiblity in this country. the fine will be like 500 baht and they will make a show of him saying sorry. if you can kill a cop on a motor bike and miss court because your busy that day, this is no problem. the sad fact is nothing will come of this. sooo many people are being poisoned, inconvineced, and losing money but the scumbags who started this will walk away untouched. Prove me wrong Thailand! I would love to eat these words..........

[Yunla]

what are you waiting for? get out of there!

No I'm staying here, I just keep the windows shut tight and the aircon on full blast. I am severely disabled and my flat is fitted to enable me to cope with my disabilities and my illness. Hotels are a nightmare for me and so is travel, so I will stay here until we are forced to evacuate - which hopefully will not happen.

I'm very fortunate in that I can stay inside until it is over, however I feel sorry for the locals who have to go out and work in this poisonous smog. I worry about their health, especially the little kids.

I hope this was an accident and not arson. That would make it easier to deal with. But even so, they need to regulate these dumps very strictly to protect all the local people and their children.

[yourauntbob]

what are you waiting for? get out of there!

No I'm staying here, I just keep the windows shut tight and the aircon on full blast. I am severely disabled and my flat is fitted to enable me to cope with my disabilities and my illness. Hotels are a nightmare for me and so is travel, so I will stay here until we are forced to evacuate - which hopefully will not happen.

I'm very fortunate in that I can stay inside until it is over, however I feel sorry for the locals who have to go out and work in this poisonous smog. I worry about their health, especially the little kids.

I hope this was an accident and not arson. That would make it easier to deal with. But even so, they need to regulate these dumps very strictly to protect all the local people and their children.

your breathing in toxic smog. unless you have a vacum seal on you windows then those chemicals are going to get in. i know it sucks, but if not for your sake for anyone who lives with you, get out of that area.

[meatboy]

almost every day we get the bin men setting fire to the rubbish they are supposed to collect near us complaining to the ob-bor -tor you've got more chance of winning the lottery than getting them to act.

locals will be pleased think of all the roast rats.

[Yunla]

your breathing in toxic smog. unless you have a vacum seal on you windows then those chemicals are going to get in. i know it sucks, but if not for your sake for anyone who lives with you, get out of that area.

I thank you for your concern, you are very kind. And yes, the chemical smell is overpowering as soon as I turn off the AC. My normal life is to use the AC very rarely, as I don't feel right squandering energy on just keeping the flat cool. But since the fire my AC has been on most of the time because the room stinks when I turn it off.

I live alone so you needn't worry about other people being forced to stay here. And I'm personally not bothered by these matters, I'm ready to meet my Maker whenever that time draws nigh. But like I say, I am very worried about the local Thai people who have to work at their street stalls and soforth. What worries me most is the reports of toxic waste being dumped at that site, so what the local people are being exposed to is far worse than normal household refuse / binbag plastic smoke.

[meatboy]

your breathing in toxic smog. unless you have a vacum seal on you windows then those chemicals are going to get in. i know it sucks, but if not for your sake for anyone who lives with you, get out of that area.

I thank you for your concern, you are very kind. And yes, the chemical smell is overpowering as soon as I turn off the AC. My normal life is to use the AC very rarely, as I don't feel right squandering energy on just keeping the flat cool. But since the fire my AC has been on most of the time because the room stinks when I turn it off.

I live alone so you needn't worry about other people being forced to stay here. And I'm personally not bothered by these matters, I'm ready to meet my Maker whenever that time draws nigh. But like I say, I am very worried about the local Thai people who have to work at their street stalls and soforth. What worries me most is the reports of toxic waste being dumped at that site, so what the local people are being exposed to is far worse than normal household refuse / binbag plastic smoke.

look after yourself never mind about other people they wouldn't give you a second thought,we had to call the fire brigade a couple of weeks ago as one local thought it was a good idea to set fire to some plastic covered wire up against a house wall inturn setting fire to the property's trees.he pissed off and came back in the night to collect the copper,which was taken earlier.

[gp2002]

"Caretaker Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk has threatened to file charges against the operator of the landfill."

As long as he has made a threat to file charges, then that's good enough in Thailand...........NEXT!

[JamesDean3]

Expired in 2011?

[dominique355]

The toxic smoke has reached the Saphan Sung / Min Buri area and our kids' school had to close.

[Fiddlesticks]

The toxic smoke may have reached Chiang Rai also but it the sky is too smoky and polluted to be able to see anything!

[belg]

^{a map would be usefull to check for far one is from those toxic holes}

[siampolee]

Interesting to note yet again that the police are supposed to be responsible for the fire service here in Thailand.

Strangely enough we see yet again the military stepping into the breach to do the job the police will or cannot do.

We are currently resident in our house here in Samut Prakarn away from our farm in Surin.Our house is on a large estate some 4-5 kilometers from the blaze, in fact some 250 meters from the Prekasai admin office.

Luckily the wind has been favourable since the blaze started thus we have not suffered any smoke pollution at all and it seems little pollution chemical wise.The pollution department van is monitoring the situation about 250 meters from our hose and the figures are true.

However regarding Samut Prakan Governor Kanit Ieamrahong and his comment regarding helicopters spraying water exercise well there ain't sight nor sound of said helicopters now or ever apart from a news helicopter two days back.

However all praise to our local admin office who have been flat out doing all they can to assist to all those unfortunates involved in the matter

Edited March 19, 2014 by siampolee

[speedtripler]

the smoke has spread for miles ,i was out on ramhamheng rd today and you could see and smell the smog

id hate to be any closer to it than that and thats a good few miles away .........

another careless disaster for thailand .............