Mitigation and Prevention of Groundwater Pollution from

Industry in Thailand

Chayawee Wangcharoenrung Ph.D.Director of Industrial Wastewater Division,

Pollution Control Department, Thailand12th International Symposium on Southeast Asian Water

Environment (SEAWE12) November, 28 - 30, Hanoi, Vietnam

Presentation Points

Overview of Groundwater Problem

Measures Applied

Future Measures

9 River Basin Group of Thailand

1. Khong River Basin

2. Salawin River Basin

3. Chao Phraya – Thachin River Basin

4. Mae Klong River Basin

5. Bang Prakong River Basin

6. East-Coast Gulf River Basin

7. West-Coast Gulf River Basin

8. Peninsula East-Coast Gulf River Basin

9. Peninsula West-Coast Gulf River Basin

1

2

34

5

67

89

25 basins to 9 groups

Need for Water of Thailand (DGR 2007)

Basin GroupWater Needs (million m3/year)

Household3%

Industrial1%

Agricultural 95% Non Irr Zone Irr Zone

1. Khong River Basin 1,206.28 178.77 39,040.84 5,211.822. Salawin River Basin 23.89 6.07 256.43 47.313. Chao Phraya – Thachin River Basin 1,496.23 1,217.96 30,756.79 19,932.544. Mae Klong River Basin 110.86 117.98 3,787.31 1,934.885. Bang Prakong River Basin 124.11 187.64 3,171.20 1,442.986. East-Coast Gulf River Basin 107.73 345.79 577.41 301.327. West-Coast Gulf River Basin 63.41 21.80 934.73 1,164.438. Peninsula East-Coast Gulf River Basin 360.56 123.33 1,055.50 2,038.099. Peninsula West-Coast Gulf River Basin 108.88 27.53 180.87 146.31

Total 3,601.96 2,226.86 79,761.07 32,219.68

GroundWater Usage (DGR 2007)

RegionGroundwater Usage (million m3/year)

Household Industrial Agricultural

1. Northern Region 262.93 56.97 359.012. Central and Eastern Region 296.85 435.24 338.343. North- Southeastern Region 210.90 21.62 352.624. South- Southeastern Region 175.79 25.37 234.895. Western and Southern Region 266.34 163.55 146.29

Total(2.8%)

1,212.81(33.61%)

702.76(31.55%)

1,431.16(1.2%)

Percentage of GW used comparing with total need by sector

Overview of Groundwater Problem

General Groundwater Problem

Region Problem FoundNorthern Region Iron, FluorideCentral Region TDS at deep level, Iron,

Manganese, ArsenicNortheastern Region Iron, Manganese, Sulfate, Chloride,

Hardness, TDSEastern Region Chloride, TDS, Iron

Southern Region Chloride, Hardness due to limestone

Currently Department of Groundwater Resource is the one responsible for groundwater monitoring, no requirement for local government to monitor.

SITES In 2014 Health Impact Assessment Coordinating Unit of National Health Commission Office of Thailand have published a book called “Contaminated Thailand” which summarized most of well-known contaminated site majority of which are brownfield. It can be classified as,

• Former and active mining sites• Former and active industrial sites• Illegal dumping site

Contaminated

in Thailand

1

2

354

6

Famous Mining Sites – 1. Klithy Creek

Klithy Creek is one of the most famous contaminated site in Thailand located on the western part of the country just on the border between Thailand and Myanmar.

It was discovered in 1998 that the lead smelter plant, began operation since 1967, discharged its tailing water to the creek and cause local people sickness. Lead level in the creek’s sediment is up to 1,000 times of the standard. The company dissolved away hence the site become brownfield. Court order PCD to do remediation. Full remediation begins this year.

Famous Mining Sites – 2. TongkahHarbour Minng

Tongkah Harbour is leading gold mining company in Thailand located in Leui province on border of Laos and Thailand. Began its operation in 1995.

It was found in 2004 that creek surrounding the site and groundwater has elevated level of manganese, iron, and arsenic up to 80 times of the standard. This lead to local people protested and blocked traffic to the mine until the license is expired.

The site is still under investigation and remediation is proposed from Department of Primary Industry.

Famous Industrial Sites – 3. MakkasanFactory

Makkasan factory belongs to State Railway of Thailand as train repair workshop located in the center of Bangkok since 1910. During the period of world war in 1943, most operation of the factory was moved due to safety concern on bombing. It is still under light use until 1982 when there is a proposal to move the factory completely.

A study was conducted 4 years ago on redeveloping the site. However; since all options require a large sum of money. Stat Railway of Thailand has not make any decision.

Famous Illegal Dumping Sites –4. Klang Dong Site

8,700 barrels of chemicals were found to be illegally dumped at Klang Dong, Nakaronratchasima province, middle region of Thailand, in Sept 2004

Ministry of Industry ordered an immediate move of barrels and clean up of soil. It is later found that groundwater is contaminated with trichloroethylene up to 600 times of the standard. Pollution Control Department and Department of Ground Water Resource still keep track on of contamination plume until now. Although the remediation method was studied but no funding to do so.

Famous Illegal Dumping Sites –4. Klang Dong Site

February 2007

June 2007

June 2009

February 2010

Credit: Department of Groundwater Resource

Famous Illegal Dumping Sites –5. Nong Nae Site

Local people in Nong Nae area, Chachengsao province, central Thailand, noticed unusual transportation of waste in the area since 2007. It later found that many waste processing company illegally dump liquid waste in many ponds in the area and resulting in wide spade soil and groundwater contamination

Department of Groundwater Resource and Pollution Control Department has investigate and found high level of Phenols and Phthalate contamination up to 14 times of the standard.

Local people sued Department of Industrial Works to responsible for remediation.

Famous Industrial Site– 6. Map Ta Phut

• Located at Rayong province in the eastern part of Thailand

• Fifth largest petrochemical complex in the world

• Found contamination of VOCs such as Trichloroethylene and 1,2-Dichloroethane up to 15 times of the standard

HEMARAJEASTERN

(43 )

MAP TA PHUT

(65 )

PADAENG

(4 )

ASIA

(8 )

RIL

(8 )

MAP TA PHUT PORT

(10 )

1,2 Dichloroethane (ppb) Trichloroethane (ppb)

Famous Industrial Site– 6. Map Ta Phut

Measures Applied

Measures Applied

For Thailand, measures applied for contaminated sites can be categorized as,

Risk management

Regulation

Remediation

Risk management

• Issue a warning on groundwater quality problem• Clean up groundwater well• Provide alternative sources of water i.e. move to tap water,

provide clean water

There are many programs on raising awareness on soil and groundwater contamination problem during inspection.

Risk management

• Soon after first soil and groundwater incident was found –Groundwater and Soil Standard were set.

• A study on what kind of policy is suitable for Thailand is performed by PCD.

Risk Assessment Manual

Remediation Manual

Damage Assessment Manual

Regulation

Using case of Map Ta Phut soil and groundwater contamination and other locations as example

Regulation

National Environmental Committee entrusted Ministry of Industry to propose a preventive measure such is routine

monitoring. A monitoring and remediation requirement for factory is proposed since 2012.

Many site identified was actively remediated by many teams and using many technique under cooperation among governmental agencies.

Phytoremediation of VCM near landfill site using vetiver grass

Remediation

Bioremediation of VCM near landfill site

Remediation

SVE System experiment on 1,2 DichloroethaneContamination on petrochemical factory

Remediation

Future Measures

Soil and Groundwater Monitoring Requirement

Ministry of Industry Decree on Soil and Groundwater Contamination Control B.E. 2559 (2016) (Effective : October 2016)

PrincipleBusiness Owner must

1) collect soil and groundwater sample 2) manage that contamination found is not

exceeding specified level

“contaminants” covered1) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) 2) Heavy Metals3) Pesticide and insecticide

Factory1) must collect sample for the first time within 180 days

after this regulation effective and must compile a monitoring report within 180 days after monitoring.

2) must collect sample on second time within 180 days after the first inspection and must submit a report within 120 days.

Factory must propose contamination control

measure and contamination reduction measure and make

a within 180 days after problem has been found.

Economic Instrument

Many of the regulation will be updated to incorporate economic instrument

• change environmental fund rule such that it can be used for contaminated area remediation.

Future Environmental Act

• include environmental damage insurance concept where the insurance money can be collected after the factory has proved that they are not causing environmental contamination

Future Factory Act

• allow environmental impact fund to be used for preventive measures.

Future Mineral Act

Capacity Building

Cooperation program on contaminated area between Thailand’s government agencies and international organization

2009 - 2010 IGES Japan

2010 - Current ReSAGPAC WG Taiwan

2014 - Shell

Information Disclosure

Development and Implementation of Pollution Release and Transfer Registered System (PRTR) with cooperation with Japanese

Government (JICA)

PRTR is Public Database on type and amount of pollutants that releasefrom various pollution sources to the environment such as air, water and

soil including pollution such as wastewater and waste that transferfrom factories or business for treatment.

PRTR Data will be open for public access at some level Release and transfer report will be in the form of loading (for example – kg

pollution/ year) NOT in form of concentration. Stimulate public engagement and serve as voluntary pollution reduction

mechanism

Concluding RemarksFor Thailand case – contaminated area & groundwater pollution problem has received a lot of attention recently.

Most of environmental related regulations have not been updated for years and they are not made to deal with such issue.

Revision to many regulations to deal with the problem is proposed, some just begin to effective but some will take longer time.

Hope that we can have “Soil, Groundwater and Sediment Contamination Countermeasure Act” in the future

Thank You for Your Kind Attention