The Samut Sakhon governor has declared Samut Sakhon factory premises a disaster zone with restricted access after 15,000 tonnes of carcinogenic cadmium waste was discovered there.
He ordered it to be returned to its original location in Tak province within 7 days.
Following complaints, an investigation revealed a company in Tak selling over 10,000 tons of cadmium and zinc waste to a Samut Sakhon-based company.
The governor of Samut Sakhon, Phol Damtham along with relevant authorities, inspected a company in Mueang district and found 15,000 tons of cadmium waste.
The inspection uncovered cadmium and zinc waste packed in large bags stored in two buildings, totaling more than 1,000 bags, and another area outside.
Authorities have seized the waste, closed the buildings, and prohibited unauthorized access.
Employees disclosed that the company had been moving cadmium and zinc waste to the area since August 2023, taking three months. They claim that no cadmium and zinc waste has been melted down.
Initially, the authorities charged the waste management company with operating without a permit and improper waste storage, as the company was licensed to melt aluminum but was not allowed to melt cadmium waste.
Phuttikorn Wichaidit, the industrial chief of Samut Sakhon province said that the moved cadmium waste was industrial waste leftover from the zinc smelting process of a company in Tak.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted for its permanent burial in cement pits, and the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division is currently verifying the facts.
So far, there have been no reports of affected individuals. If the cadmium and zinc waste remain solid and are stored in close proximity without proper disposal, it will not have an adverse impact on the environment. (TNA)
