An initial check by the local branch of the Pollution Control Department in Samut Sakhon province found that 15,000 tons of cancer-causing cadmium waste in smelting warehouses have not yet harmed anyone, according to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Patcharawat Wongsuwan.
Officials from the department in Bangkok have been tasked to collaborate with provincial authorities to inspect the warehouses for contamination and assess the air and natural resources nearby.
They are also responsible for raising public awareness about the risks associated with the cadmium waste, added the minister.
Patcharawat mentioned that if the chemical remains enclosed, it won't harm the environment or the surrounding area, but the ministry is still worried about its presence in the province.
Meanwhile, Samut Sakhon’s governor Phol Damtham has designated the areas around the warehouses as disaster zones and restricted entry due to the discovery of the illegally transported cadmium waste from the northern province of Tak.
He noted that the cadmium waste has been brought to the area since last August and has ordered its return to the original site in Tak within seven days.
