Map Ta Phut: Stricter enforcement likely

stricter enforcement of environment measures and toxic control solutions, a senior health official said.

The opportunity would arise if the government does not appeal the verdict within 30 days.

"Map Ta Phut's residents will be able to participate in the impact assessment and designate the measures to control and reduce pollution," the director of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) coordination centre, Decharut Sukkumnoed, said.

"There are severe problems in the area such as volatile organic chemicals, heavy metal in natural water, chemical accidents and toxic waste, which are illegally released by factories," he said.

He was speaking at a public forum entitled "Well-being and the Pollution Control Area Declaration" held by the National Health Commission last week.

Decharut said the court had asked the government on March 3 to comply with the environmental act 1992 and order the National Environment Board (NEB), which is chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, to set up the plan to mitigate and reduce pollution in Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate and nearby areas.

This would allow the Local Administrative Organisation to team up with the Pollution Control Department to draw up the plan, then propose to the provincial governor to implement it as part of the provincial environmental management programme.

Under the plan, the relevant agencies will collect and survey information about the source of the pollution, then make it public, which would help people access information about pollution in these areas.

The environmental and health agencies also will study, analyse, and assess the situation of pollution, its severity and environmental impact to designate the appropriate measures, including waste and waste-water management for local agencies and local people.

The provincial governor also could designate the standard of pollution in the pollution-control areas to be stricter than the general standards, such as the standard of pollution and waste water being released from factories. And the NEB also could fix the standard to control the quality of environment in this area, he added.

Meanwhile, the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, with the approval of the NEB, could ask the Cabinet to implement strict control measures for the environment. They could involve the use of land that would resolve the problem of the city plan in the industrial zone which overlaps the community zone and is established without a buffer zone. This was a chronic problem in Map Ta Phut and is currently happening in Ban Chang area.

In a bid to check the expansion of polluting industries, the minister would also have the authority to disallow any activity that causes pollution.

The ministry could also assign other measures to central and local environmental agencies to reduce the pollution such as conducting an environmental impact assessment report, which would vest the responsibility with relevant authorities to mitigate pollution.

However, Decharut said the court's ruling will not affect the tourism industry and local trading.

He said the ruling only controlled pollution in the local area, not the expansion of investment.

"Map Ta Phut still needs investment but it should not be the conventional investment which destroys the environment and affects people's health. We need clean investment," he added.

To restore and maintain the environment with a sustainable approach, business sectors should invest their capital to develop and strengthen the capacity of human resources and organisations to preserve the environment rather than release pollution, said Decharut.

He also urged the government not to appeal against the court ruling as the local authorities and administrative organisation could continue their work to draw up a plan to reduce and mitigate pollution.

"It would be treated as a joke worldwide if the government appeals against the verdict because it would mean the government does not believe in its mechanism to protect and restore the environment," he said.

"Don't be too worried. The people are just asking the government to use this mechanism to protect them, not asking for compensation," he added.

If any government measure under the plan affects the business sector's activity, they also could file a lawsuit to the court and ask for compensation.