Toxic wastes leading to genetic defects in Rayong

A number of children born with genetic defects in areas at risk have been identified, and the birth defects rate in Rayong is now the highest in Thailand, said Dr Techarat Sukkamnerd, a Kasetsart University lecturer.

He said the issue concerning toxic contamination should have been raised earlier to catch greater public attention. But legal issues had dominated in the past few months, when the government declared the estate and most areas in the eastern province a special zone where stricter measures against lax factory operations would be required.

Techarat described the toxic contamination situation, which he had studied for the past eight years, as worrying. He said the number of cancer cases reported in the estate was three times higher than other districts in Rayong. Nineteen toxic fume sources had been detected in the entire province, nine of which exceeded safety standards and another three were even more serious.

Local residents complained they had lost longstanding careers as fruit growers and fishermen, because toxic contamination had spoiled natural resources and fewer people were buying fruit or fish produced in Rayong for fear of toxic waste lingering in those foods.

Jaroen Dejkhum, a community leader, said Rayong was declining and losing its good image as a place for tourism, farm products and a fishing industry. A severe chronic water shortage had resulted from factories using water from natural resources once ample for local residents. He expressed concern over two planned development projects requiring a 60,000rai and a 30,000rai land area.

Jaroen told the seminar the perhead income in Rayong had reached Bt700,000  one of the highest in Thailand  but Rayong people gained very little from it. "We have been burdened with cleansing the industrial wastes and exposing ourselves to toxic discharges.

"Seawater now contains three different colours because of toxic contamination and Rayong people have borne enough pain and endured enough poverty. Enough is enough", he added.

Jaroen said his and other advocacy groups would campaign further to achieve more efficient preventive measures against irresponsible industry owners. He was happy largescale investments threatening toxic leaks would require local public approval under new conditions in the Constitution.

Former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin said effective urban development would be best implemented with public participation, and that social gaps between the rich and the poor should be brought closer.