Director-General of the Department of Factories joins hands with Director-General of the Pollution Control Department. Rushed to the area to deal with the problem of hiding hazardous chemicals in an old warehouse in Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.
On March 15, 2023 at 3:00 p.m., Mr. Chulapong Taveesri, Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works, together with Mr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, visited Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province to inspect and follow up on the problem of illegal storage of various types of hazardous chemicals, approximately 4,000 tons, in 5 old warehouses without business licenses, located in Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The visit was attended by Mr. Pitiya Pramote Woraphan, Deputy Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, Ms. Jinda Techasarin, Director of the Industrial Waste Management Division, Mr. Thira Kaewpimol, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Industry Officer, Ms. Apisara Ket-in, Phachi District Chief, Pol. Col. Pitiphan Kridakorn Na Ayutthaya, Superintendent of Phachi Police Station, Ms. Thanaporn Somthongdaeng, Member of the House of Representatives, and local government officials, along with Mr. Narongchai Siriwatcharoen, one of the warehouse owners, who also visited the area.
Later at 6:00 p.m. Mr. Chulapong Taveesri, Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works, together with Mr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the Department of Pollution Control, chaired a meeting with representatives of affected people in the area to determine guidelines for managing hazardous waste, both in and around the warehouse, as well as nearby agricultural areas, at the meeting room of Phachi District Office, Phachi Subdistrict, Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The meeting agreed to establish a working group to inspect and resolve the problems of people suffering from factory operations at the provincial level in order to coordinate cooperation for strict law enforcement. The “Ratchaburi Model” will be used as a model for problem management, which the Department of Industrial Works (DIW) has set guidelines for solving this problem, divided into 2 phases:
Phase 1 is an urgent phase. Build an embankment around the public canal in front of the warehouse and urgently manage the chemical-contaminated wastewater in the drainage area in front of the warehouse to prevent the spread to public water sources. The area will be improved and the contaminated wastewater will be pumped into 1,000-liter plastic drums and stored in the warehouse. From initial assessments, it is estimated that there will be more than 300 drums. The warehouse owner has received consent to use the area to store the pumped contaminated wastewater.
Phase 2: Prepare to issue an order to warehouse owners as owners of areas that possess hazardous materials without permission to be responsible for moving all hazardous chemicals, approximately 4,000 tons, to properly dispose of and treat them according to academic principles by March 30, 2023 to prevent damage to the environment and the community.
At the same time, the warehouse owner submitted documents and evidence to the Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works, which showed that the warehouse tenant who secretly stored this hazardous chemical substance was connected to a company that had a factory operating license.
#Department of Industrial Works #Department of Industrial Works #DIW #MIND #Ministry of Industry #Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Industry #Factory Act #Hazardous Substances Act #Industrial waste #Hazardous waste #Pachi Warehouse #Ratchaburi Model #Pollution Control Department