DSI searches 2 biogas power plants in Kanchanaburi Province, allegedly polluting air to locals

DSI searches 2 biogas power plants in Kanchanaburi Province, allegedly polluting air to locals

       The DSI received complaints from the locals in Lao Khwan Subdistrict, Lao Khwan District, Kanchanaburi Province suffering from the electricity generating operations of 2 biogas power plants, allegedly creating pollution, foul smell, loud noise, releasing wastewater into public ditch, dumping the companies’ wastewater on the road, causing foul smell, releasing wastewater into locals’ farmlands along the road, lessening crop yields and turning plant leaves yellow, causing damage to people in nearby areas.

       For fact finding inspection in the said area, on Thursday, July 21, 2022, Mr. Triyarith Temahivong (the Director-General of the DSI) assigned Pol. Maj. Yuthana Praedam (a Deputy Director-General of the DSI) to order Mr. Taewa Chularee (Head of Special Case Operation Center Region 7) to travel to the area with officers of the Western Industrial Pollutions Research and Warning Center, the Kanchanaburi Provincial Industrial Office, the Kanchanaburi Provincial Public Health Office, the Damrongdhama Center of Kanchanaburi Province, the Kanchanaburi Provincial Justice Office, Lao Khwan District, the Lao Khwan Subdistrict Administrative Organization, the Nong Sano Subdistrict Administrative Organization, the Lao Khwan Subdistrict Municipality and other relevant agencies to bring the search warrant of the Kanchanaburi Provincial Court for searching and proving the facts about the 2 biogas power plants as follows.

       1. Laokhwan Biopower Company Limited, located in Nong Sano Subdistrict, Lao Khwan District, Kanchanaburi Province, was searched and found that the company has installed additional power generators without proofs of permission application submitted to the Department of Industrial Works. However, at the time of the search, the power generators were not running. Therefore the pollution value from exhaust pipes, loudness and bad odor from the power generators’ functions could not be measured.

       2. Enmax Biogas I Company Limited, located in Moo 11, Lao Khwan Subdistrict, Lao Khwan District, Kanchanaburi Province, was operating at the time of the search and the pollution measured from the machines’ exhaust pipes exceeds the standard value.

       This case is likely to be an offence under the Factory Act, B.E. 2535 (1992) and the Public Health Act, B.E. 2535 (1992). The officers of the Kanchanaburi Provincial Industrial Office participating in the search therefore conducted legal proceedings. It is currently in the process of issuing the order to remodel the factory and further prosecuting according to the law.

       The said search operation was an integrated working between relevant law enforcement agencies of the Ministry of Justice and local agencies to facilitate justice to the people under the “Justice Builds Happiness” policy of the Minister of Justice and the policy on the “justice facilitation to the public” of the DSI.