Thailand’s Pollution Control Dept., the kingdom’s closest thing to an environmental protection agency, has published its list of the biggest eco-stories of last year, according to a poll of journalists reporting on the environment, Bangkok Post reported:
1. PTT oil spill in Gulf of Thailand
Somewhere between 50,000 to 190,000 liters – depending on whether you believe estimates from the oil company or a university – were pumped into the Guld of Thailand on July 27 last year. The oil killed countless wildlife and spoiled the shores of Ko Samet, a popular tourist destination. PTT faced no legal action in spite of the damage.
Related: Hating the pipe: PTT blames bad equipment for oil spill
2. Khlong Dan corruption case
Eighteen defendents including a former politician were acquitted by the courts in a land-grab case after the media reported on corruption in the construction of a water treatment plant.
3. Villagers compensated for lead contamination
The Pollution Control Dept. itself had to pay THB3.9 million to 22 Karen villagers for a factory’s lead contamination of a creek in Kanchanaburi province.
4. Chachoengsao’s toxic waste
Just outside of Bangkok to the east, Chachoengsao province has become a popular destination for dumping illegal waste. It sits near a number of industrial parks, and last year 14 public water sources were found to be rich with toxic watse.
5, Mercury poisoning in Prachin Buri
Mercury is one of few things worse than lead poisoning, and neighbors of a Prachin Buri coal power plant complained they were being sickened by it. The PCD found toxic levels of the nasty stuff in the water there.
6. Too much trash
In December, the PCD reported Thailand has made 25 million tonnes of trash during each of the last few years. The kingdom’s combined annual capacity for dumping and recylcing is less than half that: 11.7 million tonnes.
7) General stinkiness
Residents made a strink about slaughterhouses and “animal food processing plants” in Nakhon Pathom province, prompting PCD investigators to visit the area to give it the old “nose test.”
8. Northern desolation of smog
Northern Thailand was shrouded in smog during the first four months of last year, mostly attributed to manmade forest fires. Tis the season for dirty air again, so pack a mask if you’re northbound.
9. Unlike delicious Cadbury chocolate, Cadmium in Tak province was awful
Four parts of Tak province had to be declared environmental emergency zones after cadmium from zing mining turned up in nearby rice and water.
10. New reporting requirements
Not to toot their own horn, but rounding out the list was a new rule from the PCD requiring companies to report their amount of daily and monthly wastewater.
Photo: Greenpeace
