Pollution dept to act on hotspots
Bangkok Post 26 December 2013 | Apinya Wipatayotin
Three industrial pollution hotspots in Chachoengsao and Prachin Buri provinces in the East, and Loei province in the Northeast are worrying the Pollution Control Department (PCD).
PCD director-general Wichien Jungrungruang said the PCD will ask for cooperation from state agencies to help deal with the problems before they get any worse.
In tambon Nong Naeh of Chachoengsao's Phanom Sarakham district, the Department of Industrial Works has ordered a recycling firm to clean up chemical waste found at an illegal dumping site.
The company, which cannot be named for legal reasons, was found to have illegally dumped waste into land plots close to communities in Phanom Sarakham.
Chachoengsao province is considered one of the worst areas in the country for illegal waste dumping, as it is situated close to industrial parks in Prachin Buri, Rayong and Chon Buri provinces.
In Prachin Buri, a coal-power plant inside the 304 industrial park is under scrutiny after residents complained of mercury contamination.
The department is monitoring mercury levels found in Klong Chalongwang in tambon Tha Tum of Si Maha Phot district, after finding water in the canal contained excessive levels of the toxic metal.
In Loei, the Pollution Control Department is worried about gold mining in Wangsapung district, where residents are complaining about cyanide contamination of the soil and water supply.
