Greenpeace is demanding that factory operations be shut down
after finding evidence that wastewater containing a chemical that
can cause cancer and pose threats to the environment are being
discharged by the company into the Chao Praya River.
"This facility, used to manufacture PVC, is clearly a source of
hazardous chemicals that can cause serious damage to Chao Praya
River, the environment and the community. We are here today to
demand an immediate shut down of all production at the plant until
an action plan has been implemented to prevent any further
discharge of toxic chemicals into the river. In addition, sediments
below the TPC discharge pipes that are contaminated with persistent
and bio-accumulating chemicals used in PVC formulations must also
be addressed," said Tara Buakamsri, Toxics Campaigner of Greenpeace
Southeast Asia. "We also want the company to ensure that they will
put a just transition process for workers at the factory while the
facility is closed."
Scientists from Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the
University of Exeter in England noted that effluent from the main
discharge pipe of the factory contained a range of toxic chemicals,
including VCM at a relatively high concentration (2). Some of the
chemicals found in sediments directly below TPC discharge pipes are
persistent in the environment, able to bio-accumulate, and may
enter the aquatic and human food chains.
"Stringent legislation specifically addressing the production,
use and releases of these types of hazardous and toxic chemicals
from industrial facilities would offer greater protection for the
environment and human health. Such approaches, however, will never
fully address the problem of complex waste streams from PVC
production that can contain toxic and persistent chemicals. The
only real solution is to work toward the cessation of discharges,
emissions and losses of hazardous substances through the
progressive substitution of chlorine-chemistry and chlorinated
products with non-chlorinated and non-hazardous alternatives," said
Kevin Bridgen, Scientist from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories
at the University of Exeter in England.
TPC has a history of environmental abuses. In 1993, a ship
containing VCM sank before unloading its cargo at the same TPC
facility. The chemical reportedly leaked into the Chao Praya River.
In 1994, TPC was also one of 274 factories along the Chao Praya
River suspected by the Environment Commission of the House of
Representatives of discharging untreated wastewater into the
river.
In
2003, Greenpeace sent out a questionnaire to TPC as part of survey
of more than 900 multinationals and joint-venture companies with
facilities in Thailand to assess their willingness to provide
information on their use of toxic chemicals to the Thai public.
There was no response from TPC.
Greenpeace is calling that urgent action be taken by the
government to review the discharges of approximately 1000 other
plants discharging their wastes into the Chao Praya River.
Government agencies must fully assess what is being discharged and
what type of risks are being faced by the Thai public and the
environment.
"The current voluntary Thai Responsible Care Program of which
TPC is an active part has failed to address the problem. We ask the
Thai Government to replace it with a mandatory Toxic Release
Inventory which would require companies to publicly list all
transport and releases of toxic and hazardous chemicals in the
country," Buakamsri added.
Under its "Save the Gulf of Thailand - Our Food Basket" project,
Greenpeace is campaigning for the protection of the marine
resources and ecosystem of the Gulf of Thailand and tributaries
that lead to it from toxic pollution and the release of hazardous
substances.
Notes to editors:
1) Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) is used in the manufacture of PVC plastic at the TPC facility
2) The scientific report entitled "Chemical Pollutants Released from the Thai Plastic and Chemicals PVC Facility to the Chao Praya River, Samut Prakarn, Thailand " provides details of toxic chemicals found in samples collected from the factory == including the volatile and toxic organochlorine vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) at the relatively high concentration of 338 microgram per liter in discharged effluent. The concentration of VCM in TPC's effluent was above acceptable discharge limits for an equivalent plant in the USA. Sediments below discharge pipes also contained chemicals used as additives in PVC formulations including compounds known as phthalates, two of which are classified within the European Union as "toxic to reproduction".
3) Thai Plastics and Chemicals Public Company Ltd is the largest PVC company in Thailand with interests and clients in China, Hong Kong and the ASEAN countries.