Toxic Trash: 75% of all hazardous waste in Thailand dumped illegally

Officials will inspect 1,700 waste processing facilities nationwide following last week’s massive landfill fire, as 75 percent of all the nation’s hazardous waste is disposed of illegally.

The announcement from the Industry Ministry came after it met with yesterday with representatives from industrial offices in 20 provinces and four major waste disposal companies.

“The department will inspect all of these factories to see if they have the capability to process the waste that they claimed prior to obtaining a permit,” Nattapon Nattasomboon of the Industrial Works Dept. said.

No illegal landfills disposing of the capital’s massive waste are located in the capital, according to the BMA. 

But then again, much of the nearly 10,000 metric tons of trash created daily is trucked outside to other provinces such as Nakorn Prathom and Chachoengsao.

The Industy Ministry is considering whether to increase fines for illegal dumping from the current maximum punishment of two years incarceration and a THB200,000 fine.

Altogether Thailand generates about 46 million metric tons of garbage. Another 4 metric tons of hazardous waste is produced each year of which only about one metric ton is disposed of properly, according to Witoon Simachokedee of the ministry.

“These acts are caused by selfish business operators wanting to lower their costs,” said the ministry’s Prasert Boonchaisuk.

For more infrormation visit Bangkok Post.

Photo: Pascal

Related:

Landfill fire finally stops burning, free care available from Samut Prakarn Hospital

Landfill dumpers charged with negligence, illegal operation

Thousands ordered to evacuate as toxic smoke spreads east of Bangkok

Toxic smoke from massive garbage fire fouling skies over eastern Bangkok