Joint Statement on the Leakage of Hazardous Chemicals from the Indorama’s Plastic Factory in Thailand

By EnLAW, EARTH, and Greenpeace Thailand | 22 September 2022

In the early morning of September 22nd, 2022, there was a leakage of hazardous chemical from the Indorama Polyester Industries PCL. Located in Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand. Citizens living near the factory were affected by foul smell and reported the problems to the regional environmental authorities. Regarding to the incident, Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH), ENLAWTHAI Foundation, and Greenpeace Thailand, which work together in calling for environmental justice in Thailand, including pushing for a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) law to ensure citizen’s access to pollution information, sees the incident as the latest evidence of how Thai citizens must live with the risk of toxic chemicals and poisons on a daily basis.

The lack of access to information in this case is evident. Local citizens had no awareness of what types of pollutants were leaking from the factory. All that seem to be available at the time were news report that the chemicals leaked were aromatic groups, Benzene, Diphenyl Oxide, and Biphenyl [1] and the Pollution Control Department’s (PCD) warning to local citizens to not leave their home to reduce exposure to chemicals and to wear medical masks at all time. This is a clear reflection that the right of access to information – a basic human rights – has been violated time and time again. Aside from the bare fact that the air is contaminated, citizens had no idea whether pollutants may be transferred into soil, water bodies, foodstuff, or any other everyday product, nor are they made aware of the exact and specific dangers of the leaked pollutants.

Therefore, EARTH, ENLAWTHAI Foundation, and Greenpeace Thailand, jointly issue the following demands:

As a global producer of petrochemical, Indorama Ventures [2] the mother company of Indorama Polyester Industries PCL. [3] in Nakhon Chai Si, Nakhon Pathom, must adhere to the principle of corporate accountability, by cooperating with relevant agencies in explaining and disclosing all information about this chemical leakage incident to the public, assessing the damage and the immediate as well as chronic health impacts that citizens may face, and to compensate the environmental and health damage or liability placed upon the citizens from this incident.
Relevant government agencies, such as Pollution Control Department (PCD) and the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), must investigate the leakage, and disclose the information to the public promptly and transparently, cooperate in taking legal actions against the polluters, and monitor the situation to assist those who are impacted by the incident.
Relevant government agencies, such as Pollution Control Department (PCD), and the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), must take on the role of monitoring health impacts, especially in cases of sickness from exposure to aromatic groups, Benzene, Diphenyl Oxide, Biphenyl, that can cause long-term health impacts.
Relevant government agencies, such as Pollution Control Department (PCD), and the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), must support the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Draft Law produced by the citizen’s sectors to ensure public access to information and community right-to-know. The Draft law mandates the reporting of the types and quantity of chemicals released into and transported through the environment, including transports of wastewater, chemical wastes, contaminated substances for treatment or disposal. It mandates that government agencies must then disclosed said information to the public.

Aside from using the present legal avenues to call for their environmental rights from the effects of the chemical leakage, ENLAWTHAI Foundation, EARTH, and Greenpeace Thailand invite citizens to exercise their right in direct democracy, by signing the PRTR Draft Law – an act that make you part of the citizen groups submitting the law to the parliament. The organizations also invite citizens to participate in collective action and capacity building of citizens in cooperating to protect rights, health and environment of Thailand. The link to signing the draft law is: https://thaiprtr.com

Note:

[1] Breathing in chemicals in the Aromatic groups, Benzene, Diphenyl Oxide, Biphenyl, in large amount may cause nausea, headache, and respiratory impacts.

[2] Indorama Ventures is the leading producer of PET Polymer (1/5 of the all plastic bottles around the world made from Indorama’s plastic pellets)/ No. 1 producer of PET polymers in North America/ Europe's No. 1 Polymer PET Producer / World's No. 1 Recycled PET Producer/ The world's No. 1 producer of polyolefin staple fibers and bicomponent fibers/ No. 1 producer of specialty polyester fibers in Europe and North America/ The world's No. 1 producer of single-ended yarns for high-performance tires/ No. 1 producer of pure ethylene oxide in North America/ No. 2 producer of polyamide 6.6 for airbags in the world/ No. 2 Polyester Textile Manufacturer for Tires in China/ No 2 world producer of IPC reactant and only producer in Europe.

[3] Indorama Polyester Industries began with production capacity of 40,000 tons per year. It was the first investment of Indorama Ventures in Polyester industries. This factory received main ingredient of PTS from Indorama Petrochemical and TPT Petrochemicals. In 2011, the factory’s production capacity increased to 127,000 tons per year. Its products are sent to many buyers from many markets, including clothing, fabrics for household items, technical fabrics, inter alia.

Photo by Krungthep Kurakit www.bangkokbiznews.com/health/social/10283