Map Ta Phut Industrial Development: Changes and Threats

to Sustainability of Environment and Communities

Penchom SaetangPenchom Saetang

Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH)Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH)

Mekong Watch Annual MeetingMekong Watch Annual Meeting

Tokyo, June 2010Tokyo, June 2010

Thailand and its Eastern Seaboard Area: two main strategic areas are Laem Chabang district in Chonburi

and Map Ta Phut sub-district in Rayong province

Map Ta Phut Municipal AreaBefore being heavily industrialized and crowded with modern factories, Map Ta Phut was a peaceful coastal community and agricultural riches in the inner part. Now it becomes the largest industrial area and pollution

hot spot with the original local population of 40000 people and over 400,000 migrant people.

Map Ta Phut Deep Seaports and Industrial Estates

Map Ta Phut and the nearby area are located with 104 large factories, tank farms, deep seaports and hazardous waste

facilities, including 3 oil refining plants, 5 upstream petrochemical plants, 40 medium and down stream petrochemical

plants, 29 chemical plants, 1 chemical fertilizer plant,10 gas production plants, 12 iron&steel and other metal plants, 4

petroleum tank farms, 2 secure landfills, 3 coal power plants, 3 industrial deep seaports.

Air pollution Over 20 communities being impacted with foul smell caused by VOCs, SO2 and other toxic pollutants. The toxic air pollution is the main cause of increasing numbers of local communities’ illness

Small particles Caused by continuous constructions and 24-hour transportation since the last 25 years

Contaminated Water

Almost the shallow wells’ water are contaminated with heavy metals and VOCs. Rain water is also badly contaminated. The worse situation is over 20 communities have not supplied with pipeline

Coastal erosion Over 10 Km long of coastal areas and beautiful beaches have been destroyed by the land reclaimed project for deep seaport construction and oil refining plants.

Huge decreased volume of

fishes and marine impact

Fishing communities have been badly impacted due to drastic decrease of fishes while many of marine products are contaminated by pollutants released to the sea

Chemical incidents Increasing rates of chemical incidents both in the factories that caused numbers of death and wounded, and on the roads caused by chemical transportation

Illegal discharges of waste

water and toxic solid waste

Lots of illegal cases of dumping of chemical containers, solid wastes from factories in the communities nearby and waste water, in particular during the rain falls to the local water ways and sea.

Health impact with different

illnesses

Ten thousand of local people are sick of respiratory related system illness, chronic skin disease, and cancers, e.g leukemia etc.

Environmental and health impacts found from the field study in MTP area

Air pollution by petrochemical complex

at MTP, Rayong

109 factorieswith 100 flares

out of 297stacks

The worst foul smell incident occurred in 1997 which caused hundreds of students and teachers from the Map Ta Phut

Phanpittayakarn Secondary School fallen sick and brought to the hospital nearby. At present the School was moved to the new

place which was five km. away from the MTP IE.

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Photo by Bangkok Post

2003-2007: Joint study by CAIN, GP SEA and GCM on the air contamination in MTP area. High

concentration of VOCs was found by air sampling taken by the Bucket Tool.

Chemicals found in five air samples collected at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Rayong

Province from July to November 2004

• Benzene (known human cancer causing agent) was detected in

4 samples• Vinyl Chloride (known human cancer causing agent) was

detected in 2 samples• 1,2-Dichloroethane (EDC) was detected in 2 samples• Hydrogen Sulfide was detected in 1 sample• Carbonyl Sulfide was detected in 2 samples• Chloroform was detected in 1 sample• Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) was detected in 2 samples

Total Number of Compounds Tentatively Identified in Each of 5 Samples Collected from the Ambient Air in Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate

July to November 2004

21.21. C5 H10 CompoundC5 H10 Compound

22.22. EthanolEthanol

23.23. IsobutaneIsobutane

24.24. IsopentaneIsopentane

25.25. Isoprophyl AlcoholIsoprophyl Alcohol

26.26. Methyl AcetateMethyl Acetate

27.27. MethylcyclopentaneMethylcyclopentane

28.28. NaphthaleneNaphthalene

29.29. n-Butanen-Butane

30.30. n-Decanen-Decane

31.31. n-Dodecanen-Dodecane

32.32. n-Hexanen-Hexane

33.33. n-Pentanen-Pentane

34.34. n-Tridecanen-Tridecane

35.35. Octyl AcetateOctyl Acetate

36.36. PropanePropane

37.37. PropylcyclohexanePropylcyclohexane

38.38. Trimethylhexane isomersTrimethylhexane isomers

39.39. Propane + Propene + Propane + Propene + Chloroflupromethane + Carbonyl SulfideChloroflupromethane + Carbonyl Sulfide

1.1. 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene

2.2. 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene

3.3. 1-Butanol1-Butanol

4.4. 1-Octonol1-Octonol

5.5. 2,3-Dimethylbutane2,3-Dimethylbutane

6.6. 2-Butoxyethanol2-Butoxyethanol

7.7. 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol2-Ethyl-1-hexanol

8.8. 2-Methyl-1,3-dioxolane2-Methyl-1,3-dioxolane

9.9. 2-Methylbutane2-Methylbutane

10.10. 2-Methylpentane2-Methylpentane

11.11. 2-Pentene2-Pentene

12.12. 3-Ethyltoluene3-Ethyltoluene

13.13. 3-Methylpentane3-Methylpentane

14.14. Benzyl AlcoholBenzyl Alcohol

15.15. C10 H14 Aromatic Compound + C10 H14 Aromatic Compound + Diethylbenzene isomersDiethylbenzene isomers

16.16. C10 H22 Branched AlkaneC10 H22 Branched Alkane

17.17. C13 H28 Branched AlkaneC13 H28 Branched Alkane

18.18. C15 H32 Branched AlkaneC15 H32 Branched Alkane

19.19. C16 H34 Branched AlkaneC16 H34 Branched Alkane

20.20. C4 H8 AlkeneC4 H8 Alkene

2006-2007: A study on 80 samples of rain water and shallow well water. It found different levels of heavy metal contamination in every sample,

e.g cadmium, copper, manganese, lead and iron.

Water samplings to test for heavy

metal contamination

in 2006-7

Photo by EPN

Hazardous Waste Dumping In the Vicinity of Map Ta Phut Area

Photo by EPNHazardous Waste Dumping In the Vicinity of Map Ta Phut Area

Photo by EPN

Hazardous Waste Dumping In the Vicinity of Map Ta Phut Area

Photo by EPN

A number of local patients with different diseases

Photo by

EPN

Cancer Monitoring and study by NCI

National Cancer Institute has received assistance of the World Health National Cancer Institute has received assistance of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in studying the DNA of blood samples of Map Ta Organisation (WHO) in studying the DNA of blood samples of Map Ta Phut residentsPhut residents

Dr. Petcharin Sriwattanakul said NCI found significant relationship of Dr. Petcharin Sriwattanakul said NCI found significant relationship of leukaemia and pollution emitted from the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate leukaemia and pollution emitted from the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate aftern conducting a research from 1997-2001aftern conducting a research from 1997-2001

The study recorded very high rates of cancer, particularly leukaemia, in The study recorded very high rates of cancer, particularly leukaemia, in Map Ta Phut residents. She said she wanted to continue her study by Map Ta Phut residents. She said she wanted to continue her study by conducting molecular research on blood samples she collected in 1998.conducting molecular research on blood samples she collected in 1998.

Several scientific studies have shown that heavy industrial factories in the Several scientific studies have shown that heavy industrial factories in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate had emitted air and water pollution affecting Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate had emitted air and water pollution affecting 25 communities surrounding the estate. Large amounts of volatile organic 25 communities surrounding the estate. Large amounts of volatile organic compounds, including the carcinogen benzene, were found to have compounds, including the carcinogen benzene, were found to have contaminated the air in high volumes, while several heavy metals had contaminated the air in high volumes, while several heavy metals had contaminated water sources people used for their daily needs.contaminated water sources people used for their daily needs.

Severe coastal erosion caused by land

reclamation and deep seaport of the MTP IE,

Rayong province

After reparation

Photo by CAIN, 2002

Beautiful sand beaches have been destroyed for tens kilometers long

The picture shows the industrial expansion zone up north in MTP area with around new 544 hectares will be changed

to a new industrial estate, with around new 74 petrochemical and other related industrial investment

projects

Sukhumvit Rd.

11 September 2007: 3,000 people with the list of 15,000 from Rayong

and nearby communities demonstrated before the

Government House to show their opposition against the IRPC, a new coal power plant project planned to

locate in Rayong

Rayong Administrative Court ruling on March 3, 2009 ordered the NEB to declare the area, which comprises six tambons in Muang Rayong and Ban Chang districts, a pollution control area.

Local bodies get control plan deadlineCommunities to draw up their own proposals

Local bodies in Rayong have 120 days to complete a pollution reduction plan after the National Environment Board declared the Map Ta Phut municipality a pollution control area which comprises six tambons in Muang Rayong and Ban Chang districts, a pollution control area.

The law requires local bodies - which include tambon administrative organisations within the Map Ta Phut municipality - to draft a pollution reduction plan within 120 days of the declaration. The plan will then be submitted to the NEB for approval. (Bangkok Post, 6/5/2009)

Current situation (1)

Administrative Court rules to halt industrial projectsAdministrative Court rules to halt industrial projectsPollution in some areas takes turn for the worsePollution in some areas takes turn for the worse

The Administrative Court has issued an injunction suspending the The Administrative Court has issued an injunction suspending the operating permits of 76 industrial projects - including many at operating permits of 76 industrial projects - including many at Rayong's Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate - which have been granted Rayong's Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate - which have been granted government approval. government approval.

The suspension of operating permits followed an application by a The suspension of operating permits followed an application by a coalition of environmental and community activists who claimed thecoalition of environmental and community activists who claimed thepermits violated Article 67 of the constitution (Bangkok Post, permits violated Article 67 of the constitution (Bangkok Post, 30/09/2009)30/09/2009)

.

Current situation (2)

Anand to chair Map Ta Phut panel

The cabinet has approved the appointment of former prime ministerAnand Panyarachun to head a four-party panel to solve the problems atMap Ta Phut industrial estate in Rayong, Prime Minister AbhisitVejjajiva said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged cabinet members to activelyhelp solve the pollution issues at Map Ta Phut, because they couldcause economic problems if they  left unresolved. (Bangkok Post, 10/11/2009

Current situation (3)

GDP in 2010 to take sizeable hit from suspended projects

Economic growth next year is likely to be reduced by 0.2-0.5 percentage point due to the continued suspension of 65 projects in Map Ta Phut, according to the latest macroeconomic analysis by the Fiscal Policy Office.

Accounting for Bt 229 billion of investment, the suspension of theprojects is expected to cost between 80,000 to 100,000 jobs, of whichmost are residents of Rayong and nearby provinces. (Nation, 5/12/09)

The court ruling to uphold the order suspending 65 new industrial projects at Map Ta Phut industrial estate had damaged foreign investor confidence and the damage could be as high as 90 to 100 billion baht, Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) vice chairman Thanit Sorat said on Thursday. (Bangkok Post, 3/12/09:

Current situation (4)

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The Map shows the

current industrial

expansion of petrochemical

industries in Map Ta

Phud Area, 2009