Rayong’s hazmat processing company demanded ฿1.3 billion for environmental damage
Thai PBS World 17 June 2021
Pollution Control Department is demanding that a hazardous waste processing and recycling company in Rayong province pay compensation of more than 1.3 billion baht for damage caused to the environment and a community near its factory within 15 days, or face litigation.
Founded in 2010, Win Process engages in the business of sorting and recycling hazardous waste. Its factory is located in Village 4, Bang But sub-district of Ban Khai district of Rayong province.
Pollution Control Department Director-General Atthapol Charoenchansa said today that the department has received complaints from villagers, accusing the waste processing factory of secretly dumping hazardous waste into the environment, contaminating the local waterways, surface water and their arable land.
The villagers claim that they have been complaining to provincial authorities and the Industrial Works Department for years, but no action has been taken to stop the factory from discharging waste into the environment or to restore the environment.
Atthapol said the department sent officials to inspect the factory last October and found hazardous substances have been stored inside and outside the factory.
He added that the factory’s treatment pond is full of waste water, contaminated with acid and heavy metals, and the contaminated water has leaked into the environment, damaging farmland and contaminating natural waterways.
The issue was later brought to the attention of the National Environment Board, which recommended that the Pollution Control Department invoke the environment protection law to demand compensation from Win Process Company.
Atthapol said that a recent meeting of agencies concerned, including the Industrial Works Department, the Fisheries Department, the Land Development Department and Bang But Tambon Administration Organization, had agreed on a list of compensation demands to be claimed from the company, to restore the environment around the factory to its original condition.
