Govt moves to calm public fears of radioactive contamination in Prachinburi
No traces of radioactive contamination have been found in people working at or living near the metal foundry in Prachinburi province where a missing tube containing caesium-137 was discovered on Sunday, senior officials from several state agencies told a press conference at Government House on Friday.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said 71 people had been tested, including workers at the foundry, and no traces of radioactive contamination were found in their blood or urine samples.
Levels of radiation within a five-kilometre radius of the factory were no higher than usual and no traces of radioactive contamination were found in the soil, water or air in the area, he added.
Anucha was joined at the press conference by Prachinburi governor Ronnarong Nakornjinda, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation permanent secretary Sirirurg Songsivilai, Office of Atoms for Peace secretary-general Pemsuk Sutchaphiwat, and Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology executive director Thawatchai Onjun.
The officials had met in the morning to discuss the emergency.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered ongoing monitoring of levels of radiation in Prachinburi until the situation returns to normal, Anucha said.
Prayut also ordered police to investigate how the caesium-137 tube went missing and determine whether it had been smuggled out of the power plant in Prachinburi.
“The prime minister said someone must be held responsible for this,” Anucha said.
No health issues have been found among the foundry’s workers or residents of adjacent communities, Anucha said.
Local residents who suspect they have health issues related to the caesium-137 tube may seek free medical exams at any state hospital in Prachinburi, he said.
The caesium-137 cylinder went missing from National Power Plant 5A at 304 Industrial Park in Prachinburi’s Si Maha Phot district on February 23. It was not reported missing until March 10. Authorities searched frantically until they found radiated red dust believed to be the remains of the missing canister at the foundry in Prachinburi’s Kabin Buri district last Sunday.
On Thursday, a civil society network in the province submitted an open letter to Prayut calling for a thorough national-level investigation into the disappearance of the radioactive cylinder to find out how it went missing and how it ended up at the metal foundry.
