PTT vows to restore Rayong beaches

Photo: Greenpeace Thailand

The oil company reassured the public today that the oil slick in the sea off Rayong has been eradicated and the beaches are now almost oil free. They also pledged to fix the area’s environmental damage.

Pailin Chuchottaworn, PTT chief executive officer, said the situation on the eastern seaboard should be back to normal soon while the provincial administration has set up a special centre to receive complaints from those affected by the oil spill.

Compensation will be made immediately after inspections without having to wait for payment from an insurance company, he said.

He said PTT was suspicious about a patch of 20-40 cubic metres of oil at Phrao Bay which was quite far from the oil leaking site, and buoys have been set afloat to prevent the oil spill from moving ashore.

The oil pipeline pipes could last five years but the company changes them every two years, he said. The pipes can tolerate pressure levels to 27 bars while pressure in transferring oil to a barge is only 8.5 bars, he explained.

He said PTTGC has used 50-70 tonnes of environmentally-friendly chemicals, approved by the Pollution Control Department, to eradicate the slick.
 
Anon Sirisaengtakin, PTTGC chief executive officer, said the company has allocated a special budget in this year’s fourth quarter to pay for the labour, chemicals and restoration of Phrao Bay while compensation alone could be as high as US$50 million.
 
Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal said PTTGC has set up a five-member committee to investigate the slick. All five members are outsiders, not PTTGC employees, MCOT reported.
 



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