Nan: "Aitim Parit" visited Nan to investigate the fly ash leakage problem. He urged the government to urgently investigate contaminants and called on the Cabinet to confirm the draft Clean Air Act and the PRTR Act, and to disclose pollution data from factories.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list MP and spokesperson for the People's Party, visited Thung Chang District, Nan Province, along with Mr. Suphachot Chaiyasat, a party-list MP, Mr. Charoen Apipatkosol, MP for Nan Constituency 3, and Mr. Chaowit Innoi, MP for Nan Constituency 1, all from the People's Party. They were there to investigate the problems caused by the overturning of a truck carrying fly ash from the Hongsa power plant in Laos on January 29th, which resulted in the fly ash spilling into nearby areas.
Mr. Parit stated that this incident has caused great concern among the local population, as the accident revealed for the first time that "fly ash" was being transported along that route. There are also concerns about potential health impacts from inhaling polluted dust and water contamination. Although the private company purchasing the fly ash conducted initial air and soil tests after the incident, indicating that contamination levels did not exceed standards, the local population remains concerned and is gathering information to file complaints with relevant agencies, including the People's Party today.
The People's Party therefore proposes the following measures to provide immediate relief, restore public confidence, and find solutions for managing future public health risks: The Pollution Control Department and related agencies should conduct thorough investigations into air, soil, and water quality to determine if there are any pollutants or contaminants that are hazardous to the public.
The relevant authorities should improve the curve at the accident site to reduce the risk of road accidents, as it is a steep and winding road where accidents and traffic violations frequently occur.
The Cabinet and Parliament should expedite the enactment of the Clean Air Act and the PRTR Act to ensure transparent and verifiable disclosure of information regarding pollution produced, emitted, and transported within the country. For both laws, the People's Party previously proposed them to Parliament, and MPs from all parties have pushed them forward considerably in the last parliament. They are currently stalled in Parliament, awaiting a Cabinet resolution by May 14th, the stipulated timeframe.
Mr. Parit also stated that the People's Party will do its utmost to utilize parliamentary mechanisms to protect the health of all citizens, including those in Nan province who are facing a double crisis: PM2.5 pollution and fly ash.