News

Bangkok Post 07 August 2018

Aims to clear parks of up to 3 million pieces

The Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) will launch a campaign to ban plastic bags and styrofoam food boxes in all national parks from Aug 12 to reduce rubbish that pollutes the nature reserves and threatens wildlife.

The Guardian 03 August 2018 | Nicola Davis

Study shows correlation between levels of exposure to fine particulate matter and chamber enlargement seen in early stages of heart failure

Air pollution is linked to changes in the structure of the heart of the sort seen in early stages of heart failure, say researchers.

The Nation 30 July 2018

Akara Resources, the operator of the Chatree mine at the centre of a controversy over health accusations by locals, has rejected the conclusions of a fact-finding committee that confirmed leakage from the company’s first tailing storage facility (TSF1).

The company, a subsidiary of Australian mining enterprise Kingsgate Consolidated, in a press release on Tuesday argued that the finding was not unanimous in a vote by committee members, and that the research that formed the backbone of the committee’s decision did not meet academic standards. 

Bangkok Post 25 July 2018

Akara Resources Plc has disputed the findings of a report which indicated possible toxic leaks from a tailings storage facility at its gold mine in Phichit.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Akara Resources said the company and several academics disagreed with several issues raised in the report.

Bangkok Post 25 July 2018 | EDITORIAL

The government's recent response to public concern over plastic and other pollution has been as tepid as it was disappointing. Faced with real evidence and dramatic cases of ongoing harm, authorities failed to seize the day. The pathetic and heavily documented death of a male pilot whale that choked on 80 plastic bags highlighted what we are doing to the oceans. The case caused experts to emerge to explain the details. The response by the government was a short, barely publicised and utterly failed attempt to stop vendors in some Bangkok wet markets. And even that has now halted.

Bangkok Post 24 July 2018 | Wichit Chantanusornsiri

Importers drag feet on container clearance

The Customs Department plans to redirect at least 12,000 tonnes of plastic scrap and electronic-waste (e-waste) after importers failed to process customs clearance procedures on time.

Eleven 23 July 2018

Residents in Mawlamyine industrial zone in Mon State staged a protest on July 22 over the antimony refinery plants for emitting foul odor.

More than 300 residents of Mawlamyine industrial zone, surrounding wards and villages took part in the protest.

The Nation 23 July 2018 |PRATCH RUJIVANAROM

DESPITE AN official admission of heavy metal contamination, there are no plans in place for environmental restoration or measures to mitigate the health impacts on people living around Akara Resources’ gold mine in Phichit.

Bangkok Post 20 July 2018 | Anchalee Kongrut

Last Friday the 13th must have been horrible for the 11 defendants involved in a court case involving fraud in the 23-billion-baht Klong Dan wastewater treatment project -- a state infrastructure which has been built but left largely unused in Samut Prakan.

Mining Review 16 July 2018

Mining coal and burning it in power stations uses large amounts of water, and pollutes even more of the precious resource.

It imposes massive but uncounted costs on society and particularly on poor people who live in the coal regions.