Alarm as Toxic Chemical Waste is Dumped in Bang Lamung

[webfact]

Alarm as Toxic Chemical Waste is Dumped in Bang Lamung

Report by Albert Jack 

 

 

PATTAYA: -- August 28, Chonburi residents have reported the discovery of fifty toxic chemical waste drums, labelled Styrene Monomer, that have been dumped near a water source in Tamon Ban Pong, Banglamung.

 

The discovery, at a sand pit, was leaking a ‘strong smelling’ substance that doctors have said could be extremely harmful.

 

The Disease Control Department (DCD)’s Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Diseases director Dr Preecha Prempree said DCD officials have been dispatched to check how much of the substance has leaked out, and how dangerous the situation could be.

 

Another team of health officials have been dispatched to check on the welfare of nearby residents and a quarantine perimeter has been imposed.

 

A crack team of Pattaya One scientists, co-ordinating with US researchers at Google, can confirm.

 

Styrene Monomer is a clear colorless to dark liquid with an aromatic odor. Vapors heavier than air and irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes. Subject to polymerization. If the polymerization takes place inside a closed container, the container may rupture violently. Less dense than water and insoluble in water. Used to make plastics, paints, and synthetic rubber.

 

Reactivity Alerts

Highly Flammable

Polymerizable

Peroxidizable Compound

 

Air & Water Reactions

Highly flammable. Insoluble in water.

Fire Hazard

Behavior in Fire: Vapor is heavier than air and may travel considerable distance to a source of ignition and flash back. At elevated temperatures such as in fire conditions, polymerization may take place which may lead to container explosion. (USCG, 1999)

Health Hazard

Moderate irritation of eyes and skin. High vapor concentrations cause dizziness, drunkeness, and anesthesia. (USCG, 1999)

Reactivity Profile

STYRENE MONOMER is a colorless, oily liquid, moderately toxic, flammable. A storage hazard above 32°C, involved in several industrial explosions caused by violent, exothermic polymerization [Bond, J., Loss Prev. Bull., 1985, (065), p. 25]. Polymerization becomes self-sustaining above 95°C [MCA SD-37, 1971]. Presence of an inhibitor lessens but does not eliminate the possibility of unwanted polymerization. Violent polymerization leading to explosion may be initiated by peroxides (e.g., di-tert-butyl peroxide, dibenzoyl peroxide), butyllithium, azoisobutyronitrile. Reacts violently with strong acids (sulfuric acid, oleum, chlorosulfonic acid), strong oxidizing agents [Lewis, 3rd ed., 1993, p. 1185]. Reacts with oxygen above 40°C to form explosive peroxide [Barnes, C. E. et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1950, 72, p. 210]. Oxidizes readily in air to form unstable peroxides that may explode spontaneously [Bretherick 1979 p.151-154, 164]. Mixing styrene in equal molar portions with any of the following substances in a closed container caused the temperature and pressure to increase: chlorosulfonic acid, oleum, and sulfuric acid [NFPA 1991].

Belongs to the Following Reactive Group(s)

Hydrocarbons, Aromatic

Hydrocarbons, Aliphatic Unsaturated

Polymerizable Compounds

 

Potentially Incompatible Absorbents

Use caution: Liquids with this reactive group classification have been known to react with the absorbents listed below. More info about absorbents, including situations to watch out for…

Mineral-Based & Clay-Based Absorbents

Dirt/Earth

 

Full story: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/230889/alarm-toxic-chemical-waste-dumped-bang-lamung/

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya One 2016-08-29

[cumgranosalum]

"A crack team of Pattaya One scientists, co-ordinating with US researchers at Google, can confirm." - so they googled it.

[ChrisY1]

They don't yet know what's actually in these drums....apart from the labels.....could be anything at all........

But how typical of people here,  to just dump their garbage anywhere?

[Jim walker]

Picture just looks like any other beauty spot in Thailand an open dumping ground for thais 

[williamgeorgeallen]

37 minutes ago, cumgranosalum said:

"A crack team of Pattaya One scientists, co-ordinating with US researchers at Google, can confirm." - so they googled it.

man thats funny. wonder how it ended up in the article.

[cumgranosalum]

28 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

They don't yet know what's actually in these drums....apart from the labels.....could be anything at all........

But how typical of people here,  to just dump their garbage anywhere?

 

if I was to engage in illegal dumping, i'm not sure I'd consider labelling the contents of the stuff I was dumping ........I also wouldn't care  what I put in the barrels and whether it corresponded to the labels or not.....but I will defer until the "crack team" can confirm their findings 

Edited August 29, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[Emster23]

No mention of authorities working on determining who dumped this poison and going after them.... 2,000 baht fine for littering?

[eliotness]

Should be easy to find where the drums came from,  i.e. imported drums usually have markings on showing origin.  Then check at customs to find out which company imported them.  I guess that will be a wholesaler.  Then check which factories bought large quantities of the chemical.  Check the companies' (probably several) disposal records.  Worldwide in such matters  it's the company paid to dispose of the wastes that's "taken a short- cut" and simply dumped the waste after charging the producer for proper treatment and disposal.  Not difficult to investigate if the right people are used and the authorities have the determination to solve this "environmental crime". ?

Edited August 29, 2016 by eliotness

[1337markus]

Containment and control before cleanup are the key process steps. The above article seems to be more in tune with possible health side effects of people?  As ChrisY1 said they do not know whats in the drums, what has leaked; labels on a drum are a nice thing to have and someone can read the Safety Data Sheet as per the report; but whats the PLAN?

[Jimbo1964]

There can't be too many companies using this. The EPA should find out and check their records for safe and correct disposal. Totally irresponsible !

 

[eliotness]

I find it strange that it's the DCD that's doing all the groundwork in this case.  Surely the Thais have an Environmental Department or something.  After all who checks any EIAs ( oh sorry they're defunct now ).  As the previous poster stated containment should be the number one action.  However as the dumping took place in a sandpit I would guess that migration of the chemicals would be rapid, so any containment would involve huge costs.  Not sure if Thailand has the expertise to handle such events.  If the chemical is styrene or similar then the biggest risk is groundwater contamination.  Just a few of those drums could make millions of litres of groundwater unusable and could persist for decades.  If they don't find out who did it, then how are they going to recover the cost of the clean-up ?   

[diddygq]

Are those the crack team member of scientists in the picture with no gloves, mask, or any protection at all?

[sawadeeken]

I live not far from there. And we already have water shortages. This scares me  knowing the lazy Thai authorities, I am very worried.  

They need help from other countries and I doubt they will seek help.  Rather, they will just think " no big problem" and locals will suffer for years to come. 

I doubt Thai water companies ever test our water. 

[Lupatria]

From the book- "The 100 hidden core values of Thainess"

 

Chapter 15:

Kids, wives&girlfriends, garbage, revolting slaves, toxic waste,- if you don't want it dump it!

[Tuk Dua]

Labels usually carry a batch number which provides indication of date of manufacture, and would allow the distributor, and end user to be traced.

As to comments about EIA's, they dont apply, as they are studies issued for the undertaking of specific projects, not the dumping of waste.

[lonewolf99]

Just walk down any Soi off the new 2nd road in Jomtien and you see the same filth and garbage dumped all over the place.

 

I saw yesterday a garbage truck dumping more household waste into what used to be a large pond that has now become a landfill site.

 

More and more trash and building rubble is dumped around then half assed packed down by a digger and then bingo you build a condo on it. Then produce wildly innacurate bill boards saying welcome to paradise on it......yeah live over a sinking, stinking bog full of toxic waste....

[yardrunner]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

They don't yet know what's actually in these drums....apart from the labels.....could be anything at all........

But how typical of people here,  to just dump their garbage anywhere?

In the UK there is a big problem with fly tipping and it costs councils thousands for councils to clean up the mess and i am sure it is the same in other western countries, it is not a matter of Thais being irresponsible but a matter of some people in any country not caring about the environment and about their fellow countrymen

[eliotness]

21 minutes ago, Tuk Dua said:

Labels usually carry a batch number which provides indication of date of manufacture, and would allow the distributor, and end user to be traced.

As to comments about EIA's, they dont apply, as they are studies issued for the undertaking of specific projects, not the dumping of waste.

 

My comments about EIAs were just to question what exactly does the Environment Dept do.  Both cases are about protecting the environment and in this case groundwater would seem to be the critical receptor ( also something an EIA has to consider for specific projects ), so they are not totally separate, but rather related issues.  If the chemicals were manufactured outside of Thailand then maritime regulations require extensive labelling to be on the drums, so should be easy to trace, if, and only if the various government departments work together and unfortunately in many countries that just doesn't happen.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, eliotness said:

  If the chemical is styrene or similar then the biggest risk is groundwater contamination.  Just a few of those drums could make millions of litres of groundwater unusable and could persist for decades.  If they don't find out who did it, then how are they going to recover the cost of the clean-up ?   

 

Just guessing here....

 

--they won't do anything more than a cosmetic, cursory cleanup. So no significant costs will be incurred.

 

--they won't do any testing to determine whether local groundwater supplies have been contaminated.

 

--they probably won't prosecute who dumped the barrels, and even if they do, no appropriate punishment will end up being meted out.

 

[dotpoom]

3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

They don't yet know what's actually in these drums....apart from the labels.....could be anything at all........

But how typical of people here,  to just dump their garbage anywhere?

 

Yes shocking,  aren't we the lucky one's though that they would never dream of doing such a thing in the West?

[OMGImInPattaya]

3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

They don't yet know what's actually in these drums....apart from the labels.....could be anything at all........

But how typical of people here,  to just dump their garbage anywhere?

Illegal waste dumping happens in many countries,  even in the developed West, it's not a purely Thai phenomenon.  Kudos for getting in your Thai bash of the day so early, however.

Edited August 29, 2016 by OMGImInPattaya

[bazza40]

It's all about money - far cheaper to simply dump whatever it is, than dispose of it through official channels.

 

200 litre drums are frequently recycled, so any labelling on the drums may bear no resemblance to the contents.

 

Takes me back to the days of Love Canal.

[Shawn0000]

3 hours ago, cumgranosalum said:

"A crack team of Pattaya One scientists, co-ordinating with US researchers at Google, can confirm." - so they googled it.

 

You almost got their joke.  

[Pattaya28]

Apart from copy / paste 90%  of this article, how did these chemicals get there ? 

Or is that a stupid question to ask a reporter ?

[mikiea]

the Crack team is applying the tried but true Sargent Shultz method of solving this dilemma .

[shirtless]

They really know how to preserve their assets, i thought that photo was of a beach.

[Suradit69]

4 hours ago, cumgranosalum said:

"A crack team of Pattaya One scientists, co-ordinating with US researchers at Google, can confirm." - so they googled it.

 

There may have been a hint of self-deprecating sarcasm in what they said.  Sarcasm seems to fly over the heads of many TV posters who take everything in print literally.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Suradit69

[swerver]

27 minutes ago, mikiea said:

the Crack team is applying the tried but true Sargent Shultz method of solving this dilemma .

 

 

Interesting twenty four post and few of them clicking the Like this button what happen to all these farang on this forum

The 3-monkeys on Post 25 says it perfectly well but the fourth monkey is missing the one with its hands holding its crotch.

Anyhow this is not a Thailand ONLY problem the west is riddled with similar problems. For a starter Michigan water supply poisoned comes to mind and now they're are in the process of discovering a slew of other cities in Exceptionalistan.  It all fits in with  fascist capitalist Planet Earth overpopulation reduction.

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, Jimbo1964 said:

There can't be too many companies using this. The EPA should find out and check their records for safe and correct disposal. Totally irresponsible !

 

Its all about de money honey. Money here can make things disappeared, swept under the carpet poof its gone. Call it money magic, baht blindness, currying favor with currency. 

[elgordo38]

When opening TV it was funny to see this article in the heading opposite the TAT lady korncob extolling the virtues of Thailand land of mystery and well dumping.