Kalasin governor Kraisorn Kongchalard has ordered local administration organizations to investigate electronic trash recycling operations in the province and to map out short- and long-term measures to cope with an expected increase of the trash and the potential threats of hazardous substances from the trash to the environment and people in the neighbourhood of the recycling facilities.
Tambon Kok Sa-ard of Kongchai district has become a huge dump site of electronic trash imported from abroad for recycling. Separation of usable parts from the E-trash has become the main source of income for residents of 12 villages in Tambon Kok Sa-ard.
Officials claimed that over 1,200 tonnes of E-trash were brought into the tambon each month for recycling. The huge amount of trash has caused storage and disposal problem with the 23-rai landfill set aside by Kok Sa-ard Tambon Organization Organization being filled to its full capacity.
Kok Sa-ard TAO president Vichit Moon-aek called upon authorities concerned to build an incinerator to dispose the leftover garbage as pledged earlier. He pointed out that the separation of the E-trash was not properly done, resulting to hazardous substances being leaked into the environment, posing a threat to people in the neighbourhood.
Meanwhile in Chachoengsao province, deputy governor Kittiphan Rojajachiva and officials concerned conducted checks of E-trash recycling facilities in Panom Sarakham district.
The officials found out that a garbage disposal plant was not equipped with storage ponds allowing untreated water to be released into the environment. The plant was ordered suspended for maintenance.
Another recycling plant belonging to Herjia Enterprise Company was found to be operating without permit.
