Court order on Klity Creek 'ignored'
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PCD 'doing little to rehabilitate area'; expert says creek prone to lead contamination, urges locals to relocate
The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has violated a court order for it to lay down a rehabilitation plan quickly for the lead-contaminated Klity Creek, the director of the Karen Studies and Development Centre told a seminar yesterday.
“The order requiring the PCD to produce a rehabilitation plan in 90 days was issued by the Supreme Administrative Court in early 2013,” Surapong Kongchantuk said. “But so far, I have not seen any clear plans from the PCD.”
The department, however, firmly denies this allegation.
Surapong was speaking at a seminar titled “Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of Areas Contaminated by Mining Operations: Actions Taken in Response to the Supreme Administrative Court’s Order for the Rehabilitation of Klity Creek”. The forum was organised jointly by different institutes and was held at Chulalongkorn University.
Klity Creek, in Kanchanaburi province, is badly contaminated and is threatening the health of locals, many of whom have taken the case to the Administrative Court.
PCD representative Somchai Songkrakob told the seminar that the department had submitted a 2013-2016 rehabilitation plan to the Administrative Court’s Legal Execution Office. The department had also commissioned Khon Kaen University to conduct a study on how best to rehabilitate the creek.
“The research is ongoing,” he said.
Soros Chotewijit from the Legal Execution Office said the PCD had collected water samples from the creek and trapped contaminated sediments.
He also argued that the creek had mining potential and naturally had higher levels of lead.
Kannikar Medhanavyn, a scientist at the Mineral Resources Department, said areas with mining potential were not suitable for inhabitation.
“Wouldn’t it be better if the locals relocate somewhere else nearby while the rehabilitation efforts are ongoing? At the new site, they would have access to safe usable water,” she said.
Local residents, however, were strongly opposed to this idea, saying they wanted to live in their own homes.
“My ancestors have lived here for generations. How can I leave now?” said Kamthorn Nasuansuwan, a Klity Creek resident.
Surapong also slammed the PCD’s move to hire Khon Kaen University to work on the rehabilitation plan. “The university’s team has never visited the area,” he said.
Dr Tanapon Phenrat, a lecturer at Naresuan University’s faculty of engineering, said efficient laws should be put in place to prevent problems from mining industries.
“Preventive measures are better,” he said. “It is very difficult to rehabilitate affected areas later.”
Supaporn Malailoy, manager of Environmental Litigation and Advocacy for the Wants (EnLAW) Foundation, voiced concern about new minerals-related laws planned by the current regime. The Council of State is reviewing this Minerals Bill, which has already been approved by the Cabinet.
“This law will make it easier for entrepreneurs to get permission to operate mines. I am afraid that this may put many locals in trouble,” she said.
