Industrial plants in Map Ta Phut could be subject to stricter environmental standards to control the pollution level in the area where some locals have been diagnosed with cancer.

Deputy Industry Minister Piyabutr Cholvijarn said yesterday that the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, which operates the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, had been assigned to discuss the revision of standards with the companies which operate in the area.

"We need to raise our pollution-control measures, which have been enforced for 10 or 20 years without any change," he told The Nation after an informal conference at Government House yesterday. The conference included representatives from the energy industry, the Transport Ministry, and the National Economic and Social Development Board.

The meeting was held to discuss the pollution problem in the industrialised area of Rayong where a number of

refineries, power plants and petrochemical plants are located.

There was also a meeting at the Energy Ministry chaired by permanent secretary Pornchai Rujiprapha, where representatives of the Pollution Control Department, PTT, Electricity Generating and refineries were present.

Pornchai said after the meeting that within a month, there would be measures to control the purchase of some toxic substances by the plants in the area.

Admitting that five or six plants in Map Ta Phut emit above-limit levels of toxic substances, Pornchai said the measures would solve the problem in the short term while the Pollution Control Department would need to come up with a standard emission measurement tool.

Seven or eight plants propose to open in the industrialised area, one being the gas separation plant of PTT.

According to Piyabutr, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand will talk to each plant operator about pollution problems and the steps they will have to take if their plants release toxic substances above the legal limit. Some may need to purchase more advanced technologies.

The conclusion is expected to be submitted to the deputy industry minister in the coming week.

Due to the full capacity of the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, the agencies at the meeting also discussed where to locate heavy industrial plants, while auto-related plants could be allowed to continue operations in the East.

After the meeting, the National Economic and Social Development Board was assigned to study appropriate locations and present a comprehensive plan at a conference in the next two weeks, said Piyabutr.

The Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate covers about 20,000 rai (3,200 hectares).

Piyabutr said the criteria to choose potential locations covered infrastructure such as ports, electricity plants, roads and workers. Particularly, it must not pose a negative effect on environmental surroundings like Map Ta Phut.

Moreover, Piyabutr said it should be a strategic location

that will be able to link with other countries such as China and Malaysia, boosting cooperation with them in future.

"This problem has been talked about for 17 years, but none of the past governments paid attention to it. If we don't start now, the Kingdom will have trouble in competing with other countries in the future," he said.

He added that they would focus on high-potential industries such as petrochemicals, energy and electronic parts.

They also plan to set up a National Committee to be responsible for the plan.

Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said the government should revise the Southern Seaboard project, which was planned years ago but has seen no progress. Under the original study, the Southern Seaboard was planned for Sichon district of Nakhon Si Thammarat. 

Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul

The Nation