Water Pollution Control and Enforcement Status and Challenges in Thailand

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1 Water Pollution Control and Enforcement Status and Challenges in Thailand Environmental Investigation and Law Enforcement: A Case of Massive Death of Aqua-cultured Fishes and Aquatic Animals in Chao Phraya River Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana, Member of Pollution Control Board of Thailand, Senior Policy and Technical Advisor, Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific, Asian Institute of Technology

He was also awarded an Asian Air Quality Management Champion from the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia, presently Clean Air Asia) for his efforts to institutionalize air quality

2 Photo Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana Senior Policy and Technical Advisor, Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific, AIT Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana has been instrumental and responsible for the improvement of air quality in Thailand in particular in Bangkok. He was also awarded an Asian Air Quality Management Champion from the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia, presently Clean Air Asia) for his efforts to institutionalize air quality management in Thailand and for acting as a role model for air quality management practitioners in cities and countries across Asia. He also received the 2016 Kong Ha Award for Excellence in Air Quality Management from Clean Air Asia (CAA) as a scientist and practitioner who has worked tirelessly for the past 39 years to improve air quality in Thailand and throughout Asia. In the capacity of the Director General of PCD, the scope of his responsibility expanded besides air pollution to cover all other pollution issues both at the national and international levels, including wastewater, solid waste, hazardous waste and chemical and environmental law enforcement. Strategies and Practices for Water Pollution Enforcement Workshop, November 8-10, Taipei 1

3 Presentation Outline What has happened? Fact finding and Investigation taken Conclusion Remedial actions taken Legal actions taken

4 Unprecedented Massive Deaths of Aqua Cultured Fishes along Chao Phraya River during March 2007

5 Deaths of Aquatic Animals along Chao Phraya River during the same period

6 What Happened? On 3 March 2007, a barge fully loaded with 650 ton of raw (red) cane sugar parked at a wharf on the bank of Chao Phraya River in Ang Thong Province sunk and spilled cane sugar into the river.

7 What Happened? 6

8 Barge before sinking What happened on 3 March 2007: Sinking of a barge fully loaded with raw (red) cane sugar in Chao Phraya River in Ang Thong Province. Raw (red) cane sugar Sunk barge 7

9 Operation to Salvage the Sunk Barge The operation to salvage the sunk barge was made during March 2007 by the barge owner. In the operation, the remaining raw cane sugar in the sunk barge was pumped out and discharged into Chao Phraya River. 8

10 Barge Salvaging Operation

11 What subsequently happened on March 2007: Consequent massive death of aquatic animals both in natural water and aquaculture along Chao Phraya River starting from 12.5 km downstream from the sunk barge and continued to happen further downstream during the next days.

12 Sunk Barge Massive Death of Aqua-culture Fishes Mouth of Chao Phraya River

Complaints from effected people who did aqua-culture

13 Complaints from effected people who did aqua-culture along Chao Phraya River. People did not believe that their fishes died because of polluted water from dissolved raw cane sugar from the sunk barge. They believed that it was caused by wastewater illegally discharged from factories nearby, in particular an industry producing MSG.

14 Investigation taken to find out what is exactly the cause Hypotheses: 1. Caused by the sunk barge 2. Caused by Illegal discharge of wastewater from the MSG factory

15 Hypothesis 1: Caused by the sunk barge Cane sugar is organic matter which can be digested by microorganisms in the water in Chao Phraya River. Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water is consumed by microorganisms in digesting organic matter (cane sugar) resulting in diminishing DO in the water along the Chao Phraya River. Fishes and other aquatic animals along Chao Phraya River could die from suffocation from diminishing DO in the water.

16 Hypothesis 2: Caused by Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from the MSG factory Wastewater from the MSG factory contained organic matter which can be digested by microorganisms in the water in Chao Phraya River and might also contain toxic chemicals. Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water is consumed by microorganisms in digesting organic matter resulting in diminishing DO in the water along the Chao Phraya River. Fishes and other aquatic animals along Chao Phraya River could die from suffocation from diminishing DO in the water or from toxic

17 Facts Finding Investigation for Hypothesis 1: Caused by the sunk barge It was estimated that the amount of cane sugar pumped out from the sunk barge and dissolved in Chao Phraya River was around 650 ton which was equivalent to as high as 440,000 kg of BOD and significantly diminished the DO in Chao Phraya River to the level that fishes suffocated and started to die at a location around 12.5 km downstream from the sunk barge. The water mass contaminated by sugar cane with low level of DO continued to flow along Chao Phraya River in a plug flow manner and fishes continued to die downstream from 12.5 km. Glucose was found at higher concentrations in Chao Phraya River downstream from the sunk barge than that was found upstream.

18 Facts Finding Investigation for Hypothesis 1: Caused by the sunk barge Simulation by Mathematical Modelling with MIKE11 Model Assumption 80% of 650 ton (440 ton of BOD) of raw cane sugar in the barge sunk on 3 March 2007 remained in the sunk barge and was discharged and dissolved in Chao Phraya River during the operation to salvage the sunk barge began on 10 March.

19 DO (mg/l) Facts Finding Investigation for Hypothesis 1: Caused by the sunk barge Simulation by Mathematical Modelling with MIKE11 Model The operation to salvage the sunk barge started on 10 March Fishes died on March DO = 0.9 mg/l Sunk Barge 12 km

(mg/l) DO and BOD along Chao Phraya River 12 March 2007 Fishes died on 12-13 March

20 (mg/l) DO and BOD along Chao Phraya River 12 March 2007 Fishes died on March Fishes died on March 12.5 km Sunk Barge Distance from Mouth of Chao Phraya River (km) 19

21 (mg/l) DO and BOD along Chao Phraya River 13 March 2007 Fishes died on March Fishes died on March Sunk Barge Distance from Mouth of Chao Phraya River (km) 20

22 (mg/l) DO and BOD along Chao Phraya River 14 March 2007 Fishes died on March Distance from Mouth of Chao Phraya River (km) 21

23 (mg/l) DO and BOD along Chao Phraya River 15 March 2007 บร เวณปลาตาย Fishes died on ม.ค March Distance from Mouth of Chao Phraya River (km) 22

24 (mg/l) DO and BOD along Chao Phraya River 16 March 2007 บร เวณปลาตาย ม.ค.50 Distance from Mouth of Chao Phraya River (km) 23

25 มก./ล ต.สาแล อ.เม อง จ.ปท มธาน อ.เม อง จ.นนทบ ร ว ดหงส ปท มาวาส อ.เม อง จ.ปท มธาน Nonthaburi DO along ว นท 18 Chao ม นาคม Phraya 2550 River Polluted Water Mass อ.สามโคก จ.ปท มธาน ใต โรงงานกระดาษบางปะอ น ว ดเช งเลน อ.บางไทร จ.อย ธยา 18 March 2007 ค าออกซ เจนละลายน า (DO) อ.บางปะอ น จ.อย ธยา บร เวณป อมเพชร อ.เม อง จ.อย ธยา ด พอใช เส อมโทรม เส อมโทรมมาก ว ดจ ฬามณ อ.บางบาล จ.ศร อย ธยา Fishes died on March ว ดท าส ทธาวาส บร เวณกระช งปลา ม.5 อ.บางเสด จ ท ว าการอ.ป าโมก จ.อ างทอง ว ดแจ ง ต.บางปลากด ม.4 ต.โพสะ เร อล ม 100 ม. ม.1 ต.โพสะใกล บ.ส ภ ทร ธนากร Sunk Barge Ayudhaya ว ดราชป กษ ผ รายงาน : สาน กจ ดการค ณภาพน า กรมควบค มมลพ ษ (19 ม.ค.2550) 24

26 DO (mg/l) along Chao Phraya River on 22 March 2007

(mg/l) แสดงผลการตรวจว ดค ณภาพน าในแม น าเจ าพระยา DO along Chao Phraya River ณ 23 ว นท March 23 ม นาคม 2007 2550 มก./ล. ค าออกซ เจนละลายน า (DO) 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.

27 (mg/l) แสดงผลการตรวจว ดค ณภาพน าในแม น าเจ าพระยา DO along Chao Phraya River ณ 23 ว นท March 23 ม นาคม มก./ล. ค าออกซ เจนละลายน า (DO) Nonthaburi ด พอใช เส อมโทรม เส อมโทรมมาก Ayudhaya ท าน านนทบ ร จ.นนทบ ร อ.ปากเกร ด จ.นนทบ ร สะพานนนทบ ร อ.เม อง จ.นนทบ ร ว ดหงส ปท มาวาส อ.เม อง จ.ปท มธาน ต.สาแล อ.เม อง จ.ปท มธาน อ.สามโคก จ.ปท มธาน ท ายศ นย ศ ลปช พบางไทร 1 กม. ศ นย ศ ลปาช พบางไทร ท าน าบางไทร อ. บางไทร จ.อย ธยา ว ดเช งเลน อ.บางไทร จ.อย ธยา ใต โรงงานกระดาษบางปะอ น บร เวณป อมเพชร จ.อย ธยา อ.บางบาล จ. อย ธยา 26

Movement of Mass of Polluted Water DO (mg/l) บร เวณปลาตาย 12-13 March ม.ค.

28 Movement of Mass of Polluted Water DO (mg/l) บร เวณปลาตาย March ม.ค.50 Fishes died on Sunk Barge 13/3/07 14/3/07 15/3/07 16/3/07 18/3/07 19/3/07 20/3/07 21/3/07 22/3/07 23/3/07 บร เวณปลาตาย Fishes died ม.ค.50 on March ต.บางเสด จ อ.ป าโมก Polluted Water Mass Distance from Mouth of Chao Phraya River (km) 27

Facts Finding Investigation for Hypothesis 1: Caused by the sunk barge (mg/l) Dissolved Sugar (Glucose) Level along Chao Phraya River on 14 March 2007 Dissolved sugar = 5.

29 Facts Finding Investigation for Hypothesis 1: Caused by the sunk barge (mg/l) Dissolved Sugar (Glucose) Level along Chao Phraya River on 14 March 2007 Dissolved sugar = 5.39 mg/l Dissolved sugar = 5.09 mg/l 100 meters downstream from sunk barge Distance from Mouth of Chao Phraya River (km) Polluted water mass Normal level of dissolved sugar in Chao Phraya River is between mg/l

30 MSG Factory ท ศเหน อ บ อรวมป ยน า อาคารสาน กงาน ถ งรวมน าเส ย บ อบาบ ดน าเส ย จ ดข ดพบท อน าเส ย บ อตากป ยแห ง แนวเส นท อท ข ดพบ จ ดส บน าใช ของโรงงาน บ อรวมป ยน ารอขาย

31 Facts Finding Investigation for Hypothesis 2: Caused by Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from the MSG factory Factory had biological wastewater treatment system Factory was not allowed by the Department of Industrial Works to discharge treated wastewater (Zero discharge) Liquid fertilizer is a by-product Liquid fertilizer had typically high potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) content which could significantly increase the concentration of K and P in the Chao Phraya River water if discharged into the river. Factory was under annual maintenance and hence not in operation. Investigation for illegal discharge of wastewater from MSG factory was launched but could not find any evident.

32 Investigation of Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from MSG Factory ผล ตผงช รส าเส ย ระบบบาบ ด แม น ำ เจ ำพ ระยำ น บร เวณโรงงาน ถนน สาย อ าง ทอง ป า โมก สาน กงาน าใช ยงปลา บ อเล ยงปลา บ อเล บ อน โรงอาหาร าใช บ อน บ อก กเก บน 31

33 Investigation of Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from MSG Factory 32

ถนน สำย อ ำงท คลอง ชลปร ะทำน 33 อง ป ำ โมก แม

ำรวจท อระบำยน ำ สาน กงาน Investigation of

34 ถนน สำย อ ำงท คลอง ชลปร ะทำน 33 อง ป ำ โมก แม น ำ เจ ำพร ะยำ ถนน สาย อ าง ทอง ถนนทางเข า ออกบร ษ ทฯ เส นท อท ข ดพบ สาน กงาน KT5 KT7 KT6 ป า น โมก ทางเข า - ออกภายในบร ษ ท แนวข ดส ำรวจท อระบำยน ำ สาน กงาน Investigation of Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from MSG Factory KT5 KT6 KT7

35 ถนน สำย อ ำงท คลอง ชลปร ะทำน 34 อง ป ำ โมก ถนนทางเข า ออกบร ษ ทฯ เส นท อท ข ดพบ สาน กงาน Investigation of Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from MSG Factory KT5 ผลการตรวจสอบล กษณะน าเบ องต น (15 ม ค 2550) KT7 จ ดเก บ ต วอย าง 1. ท อบร เวณ หน าน กงาน (KT5) เวลา ph TDS (มก/ล) การนา ไฟฟ า (µs/cm) ความ เค ม (ppt) ,020 95, จ ดเปล ยน แนวเส นท อ (KT7) ,007 4, ปลายท อ หน าร วรงงาน (KT6) ,269 2, KT6

36 Investigation of Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from MSG Factory แม น ำ เจ ำพ ระยำ น บร เวณโรงงาน ถนน สาย อ าง ทอง ป า โมก สาน กงาน ผล ตผงช รส าเส ย ระบบบาบ ด ยงปลา บ อเล ยงปลา บ อเล บ อน โรงอาหาร าใช บ อน าใช บ อก กเก บน 35

37 Investigation of Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from MSG Factory 36

38 Investigation of Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from MSG Factory 37

39 Facts Finding Investigation for Hypothesis 2: Caused by Illegal Discharge of Wastewater from the MSG factory High levels of K and P were found in the stored liquid fertilizer During the episode, K and P in Chao Phraya River water downstream from the factory were not found to be higher than normal. K = 2.9 mg/l and P = 0.08 mg/l were found in the polluted water mass on 14 March 2007 K = mg/l and P = mg/l on 29 March 2007 which the polluted water mass had gone out to the mouth of Chao Phraya River

40 Conclusion of the Investigation It was concluded from the investigation that aquatic animal in Chao Phraya River died because suffocating from diminishing DO in the water resulting from the digestion of cane sugar released from the sunk barge by microorganisms in the water.

41 Remedial Actions Taken during the Episode Continuous aeration into the moving polluted water mass in Chao Phraya River to increase DO in the water 40

42 Continuous aeration into moving polluted water mass ผ รายงาน : สาน กจ ดการค ณภาพน า กรมควบค มมลพ ษ (22 ม.ค.2550) 41

43 Effective Microgranism (EM) was sprayed onto the moving polluted water mass in Chao Phraya River to accelerate the digestion of dissolved cane sugar. 42

44 Assistance Provided to the Farmer by the Government Financial aid was provided by the Government to the effected aqua-culture farmers with aqua-culture area of 6,647 square meter for a total of 1,708,279 baht

45 Assessment of Damages Damages to natural aquatic animal were assessed to be around 21.1 million baht Costs for water quality monitoring during the episode and remedial actions taken to be around 20.3 million baht

46 Legal Actions Taken PCD has filed a law suit in Civil Court against owners of the barge, owners of cane sugar and the captain of the barge for Damages to natural aquatic animal of 21.1 million baht in accordance with Section 96 of the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environment Quality Act of 1992 Costs for water quality monitoring during the episode and remedial actions of 20.3 million baht in accordance with Section 97 of the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environment Quality Act of 1992 Total of 41.4 million baht

47 Legal Actions Taken Individual aqua-cultured farmer can file a law suit to the Civil Court against the owner of the barge, owner of cane sugar and the captain of the barge for the damages to his/her aqua-cultured fishes However, none has been filed since they have gotten the financial aid from the Government. Government cannot file such a law suit on their behalf.

48 Legal Actions Taken Current status of the law suit case, The Civil court gave a verdict to award PCD (Government) around 36 million baht The Appeal Court gave a verdict to award PCD (Government) around 39 million baht. The increase of 3 million baht is for the additional cost from Fishery Department and Ayudhaya Province not included in the law suit. The case is still under the consideration of the Supreme Court.

49 Thank you for your attention!

SUVARNABHUMI PIPE INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 8 Soi Ladkrabang 38, Ladkrabang, Ladkrabang, Bangkok Tel thru 49 Fax.

SUVARNABHUMI PIPE INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 8 Soi Ladkrabang 38, Ladkrabang, Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 Tel. 02-326-9946 thru 49 Fax. 02-326-9945 Websize : www.suvarnabhumipipe.com E-Mail : marketing@suvarnabhumipipe.com