Move Forward MP suspects foul play, queries reason behind Rayong chemical fire

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Patcharawat Wongsuwan said officials from the Pollution Control Department were dispatched to check air quality within a 300-metre to 10km radius of the Win Process Co Ltd factory and found that the air was not contaminated by the burned chemicals.

Earlier reports said that villages in Bang Butr and Nongbua subdistricts were affected by chemical smoke and residents were receiving emergency aid. Sixty-seven residents have been admitted for emergency treatment of respiratory problems caused by smoke inhalation.

However, Patcharawat claimed officials had found no chemical contamination and the air was still safe.

A fire broke out at a warehouse of the chemical waste treatment factory in Ban Nong Phawa village in Tambon Bang Butr of Rayong’s Ban Khai district at 9am on Monday and quickly spread to other buildings within the compound.

The minister said the Pollution Control Department will also regularly check factories nationwide to prevent the leakage of chemicals that could harm people in the neighbourhood.

Separately, Move Forward MP for Rayong’s Constituency 4, Chutipong Pipoppinyo, said firefighters have managed to contain the flames and are waiting for the chemical waste to burn itself out.

He added that the fire is expected to be extinguished sooner than the three days expected earlier.

The MP added that though officials claim the quality of air in the area is not dangerous, local residents are still concerned about their health. Hence, he said, relevant agencies should assess the environmental impact of the fires and compensate locals for the impact.

Chutipong also said he suspected foul play, pointing out that the Rayong industrial office had ordered the company to remove the chemical waste from the factory before the fire started. The order was issued last Friday (April 19) and the fire was sparked on Monday (April 22), he said, adding that the factory had no electricity, so the fire could not be blamed on a short circuit.

He said the government should improve regulations on disaster management, so officials can respond to such situations sooner. Under current rules, the provincial administration must first announce the fire site as a disaster zone before firefighters can get access to foam or sophisticated tools to fight dangerous chemical fires, he noted.

Earlier reports say that Win Process had engaged in a 13-year legal dispute with surrounding communities over environmental pollution before the Rayong provincial court ruled in favour of the villagers on December 13, 2022. The court ordered the company to pay a compensation of 20.82 million baht to clean up the pollution.

The factory previously caught fire in 2022, after which it ceased operating and reportedly left tonnes of chemical waste untreated and unattended inside its warehouse buildings.