Audacious, no fear of the law!! Found again! Illegal dumping of chemical waste in Khok Muang Subdistrict, Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province
On April 3, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., Mr. Chulapong Thawisri, Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works, assigned officers of the Industrial Waste Management Division, along with Mr. Thira Kaewpimol, the Provincial Industry Officer of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, to file additional complaints against the landowner and tenant, along with submitting additional supporting documents for consideration of the case at Phachi Police Station on charges of possession of Type 3 hazardous substances without permission under the Hazardous Substances Act B.E. 2535 and the charges of setting up and operating a factory without a license under the Factory Act B.E. 2535 , from the case of the discovery of the illegal storage and dumping of industrial waste, which is classified as various types of hazardous chemicals, approximately 4,000 tons, inside 5 old warehouses located in Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. This is to expedite the prosecution of all related offenders as soon as possible.
Later at 2:30 p.m. The officers of the Industrial Waste Management Division, along with Mr. Thira Kaewpimol, the Provincial Industry Officer of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ms. Apisara Ket-in, the District Chief of Phachi, the Public Health Officer of Phachi District, and officers of the Phachi Police Station received an emergency complaint that there was illegal dumping of industrial waste in a nearby area. Therefore, they went to inspect a private land plot in Khok Muang Subdistrict, Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The inspection found that it was a private land plot with a title deed of 3 ngan and 46 square wah. The area was covered with grass and deserted. There were 6 suspicious soil pits with a total area of approximately 120 square meters. Inside the pits, there was a thick black liquid with a chemical smell. In addition, near the water storage pond, many large soft packaging bags or Big Bags were found. Inside were solid lumps and black powder mixed with gray and brown with a chemical smell.
The officers of the Industrial Waste Management Division therefore analyzed the thick black liquid with a chemical smell and found that its pH was 0-1 , which is a strong acid. It falls under the category of chemical waste and is classified as a Type 3 hazardous substance under the Hazardous Substances Act of 1992. They also analyzed the water in the nearby irrigation canal and found that its pH was 7, which is neutral. However, initial assumptions suggest that it may be related to the case of the illegal storage of various types of hazardous chemicals, totaling approximately 4,000 tons, in a warehouse in Phachi District, as the area is only 3 kilometers away from the warehouse.
The Department of Industrial Works (DIW) and the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Industry Office have therefore blocked off the area to prevent unrelated persons from entering the area and have collected samples of the thick black liquid, water in the pond, and suspicious objects for laboratory testing and analysis. The analysis will take approximately 14 days, and the data will be recorded in the daily log to confirm all the facts found to the officers of Phachi Police Station. They will also file a complaint with the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NRECD) to investigate and prosecute the offenders under the Hazardous Substances Act B.E. 2535, the Factory Act B.E. 2535, and other related laws.
#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