Factory odour unacceptable, PCD says

The foul odours from an animal-feed factory in Nakhon Pathom exceed acceptable limits by up to 10 times, Pollution Control Department director-general Wichien Jungrungruang said yesterday.

"PCD found that the foul odours released from the smokestacks of RT Agri Tech Co Ltd were two to 10 times higher than the standard limit at a maximum of 300 units," he said. "The odours collected from the factory's compound were six to nine times higher than the standard limit at the maximum 15 units."

The odour from the first smokestack was 977 units, second stack 548 units and the third 3,090 units. Test results from the fourth and fifth stacks were not yet complete. The odour from the first site of the compound was 97 units and from the second site was 130 units.

The PCD collected air samples from seven specific sites of the factory and brought them to the lab for testing. Six so-called "human sniffers" - qualified odour experts - were used to test the odours within 24 hours after the samples were collected.

The PCD will inform the Department of Industrial Works and the Tambon Huai Khwang Administrative Organisation to take action against RT Agri Tech, Wichien said.

The factory's owner has asked for 30 to 45 days to finish a production run before closing to make improvements.

Last year, the PCD received 460 pollution complaints, 302 of them about bad odours, the highest number of all kinds of complaints.