Experts call for action to protect locals near Phichit gold mine

[Lite Beer]

Experts call for action to protect locals near Phichit gold mine
Wasu Vipoosanapat
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Health experts called on the authorities to initiate a plan to help people living near a gold mine in Phichit province, after it was discovered that more than half the residents had high levels of toxins in their blood.

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, director-general of the Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS), said on Thursday that the latest check-ups showed villagers from Phichit's Thab Khlo district were at risk.

"It's important for health authorities to come up with a proper plan to ensure that these villagers get immediate treatment," she said.

The team also conducted random tests to check for toxicity levels among locals living within 3 to 5 kilometres of the gold mine. Of the 600 villagers tested, 329 or 70 per cent were found to have manganese and arsenic in their blood.

The health examinations came after locals lodged complaints with the CIFS against the mining firm.

Pornthip said the results would be forwarded to the ministries of Justice and Health, as well as to Phichit's governor and state hospitals in the province so they can consider what legal action can be taken.

Smith Tungkasmit, an environmentalist from Rangsit University who was also part of the team that went to Phichit, said he found high levels of metals, especially manganese, as well as arsenic in the water and soil around the mining site. He said the test results would be sent to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the mining company.

The team, made up of academics, villagers, health experts, and doctors as well as representatives from the mining firm, the NCPO and state agencies, has been tasked with conducting tests to see if the gold-mining operation has had a negative impact on villagers' health.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Experts-call-for-action-to-protect-locals-near-Phi-30248807.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-29

[peterpaintpot]

I notice that the Nation reporter isn't too good at percentages, this one is so easy you should be able to calculate it in your head.

However this is a very serious polution problem and should be given top priority, for treatment of the local population and also investigation and punishment of the perpetrators.

Unlikely to be an isolated case in Thailand - another challenge for the Goverment.

[chainarong]

The complete o/haul of both the Mines and the Environmental Protection departments would be start, this seems to be an ongoing problem in Thailand mining area's, ground water contamination , these departments either need their charters updated so that they have powers to deal with these incidents and their inspectors need to do more at the coal face and have more power , from lead poisoning rivers to cyanide in ground water , there seems to be blatant disregard for the welfare of the population , time the Government stepped up to the plate and took some responsibility, I might add that this is an Australian owned company and any of this happening there would result in them being prosecuted and shut down.

[aussieinthailand]

The complete o/haul of both the Mines and the Environmental Protection departments would be start, this seems to be an ongoing problem in Thailand mining area's, ground water contamination , these departments either need their charters updated so that they have powers to deal with these incidents and their inspectors need to do more at the coal face and have more power , from lead poisoning rivers to cyanide in ground water , there seems to be blatant disregard for the welfare of the population , time the Government stepped up to the plate and took some responsibility, I might add that this is an Australian owned company and any of this happening there would result in them being prosecuted and shut down.

Absolutely agree with most of your comment, Unfortunately as an Aussie, and also having spent several years in the mining game, I've seen first hand just how mining company's navigate their way around issues like environmental contamination and rules and laws so all looks well on paper but in reality, very far from the truth.

The only thing that these guy's will respond to is mass media and even then they'll have a team of lawyers go after you if you rock the boat.

[kmj]

Isn't this the time the mining company starts a lawsuit for slander?

[Bluetongue]

Without knowing exactly what the legitimate mining company has done, I will add this. I spent several days in this area about 4 years back at a funeral. We visited two large completely illegitimate gold mining operations where there was absolutely no standards of any kind being applied, including pumping raw effluent from washing ore etc straight into watercourses. These were being operated by locals and because everyone had plots of different sizes the whole thing was a patchwork of different size holes and different methods of extraction and differences of scale. Pretty much chaos really.

[bangrak]

I am quite sure many 'officials' were quite aware of the fact this was happening! Can this still be considered as the 'usual kind' of corruption, will some 'officials' been endicted for causing bodily harm, death? Not more than the mining company, I guess... Life is cheap in Thailand, especially for the real, true Thais (the Farangs not being considered in this case)! Corruption and greed, greed and corruption, the 'perfect' Chinese society model, don't even need to have the triads or the communist party here, enough corrupt gangs available locally to make deals with! When this is not a 'despicable' example, tell me what is! Yes, yes, there are the other heavily polluting industries, the (agro-)chemical companies, PTT, Egat, the garbage dumps, the shrimp farms, the ..., need to start somewhere with, isn't it, and normal citizens living in this area (maybe, probably) before the wealthy stinkers got their license, have been POISONED, have most possibly DIED, or will some time, from the heavy metal concentrations! When that's not enough in Thailand, what will be, a 'war on something', no, ill chosen example, even that has proven not to be enough to give a, commuted, death penalty to the man responsible for it, not even enough to prosecute him about it actually, as said before, life is cheap indeed in Thailand, when you're not a member of the in-crowd!

[bangrak]

The complete o/haul of both the Mines and the Environmental Protection departments would be start, this seems to be an ongoing problem in Thailand mining area's, ground water contamination , these departments either need their charters updated so that they have powers to deal with these incidents and their inspectors need to do more at the coal face and have more power , from lead poisoning rivers to cyanide in ground water , there seems to be blatant disregard for the welfare of the population , time the Government stepped up to the plate and took some responsibility, I might add that this is an Australian owned company and any of this happening there would result in them being prosecuted and shut down.

Forget about it, they are all c-o-r-r-u-p-t, greedy bastards, the whole population of 'officials' whose oath, too, was about serving and protecting, and that might open the gate to get all, any, of them: renegating on their oath, they committed LM, there might be a usable good side to that law actually, to get real bad guys behind bars, and fast too...

[kaorop]

Without knowing exactly what the legitimate mining company has done, I will add this. I spent several days in this area about 4 years back at a funeral. We visited two large completely illegitimate gold mining operations where there was absolutely no standards of any kind being applied, including pumping raw effluent from washing ore etc straight into watercourses. These were being operated by locals and because everyone had plots of different sizes the whole thing was a patchwork of different size holes and different methods of extraction and differences of scale. Pretty much chaos really.

after some time you begin to see that this country is a basket case from kai to huk or what ever a to z is

of course with a medium size domestic economy, quite a few local companies with strong exports, plenty of noob 'blind' idiots like i once was who made the move and many multis here already manufacturing,

the place will kick along its merry destructive way

entropy at its best

[15Peter20]

How dare those peasants get contaminated with poisons! Now they're never going to attain happiness during the junta's reign. Arrest them immediately as subversives and keep that economy fuelled!