Relocation of cadmium tailings from Bangkok commences May 7
The logistics of relocating cadmium tailings from Samut Sakhon, Bangkok, and Chon Buri back to their original location in Tak is set to start on May 7. Bound & Beyond Plc, the company responsible for the task, has a deadline of 36 days to execute the operation, as stated by Pimphattra Wichaikul, the Industry Minister.
Pimphattra revealed yesterday that the committee in charge of the tailings’ transport has considered a revised plan by Bound & Beyond Plc. This revised plan involves the use of 30 trucks to relocate 450 tonnes of cadmium tailings per day, starting May 7. The initial plan proposed the use of 10 trucks for 92 days, but the committee requested an increase to cut down on the duration.
The cadmium tailings will be disposed of in pits specially prepared in Tak. These pits are due for inspection today for safety and sturdiness by officers from the Industry Ministry’s Department of Primary Industries and Mines (DPIM), the Tak Provincial Public Works, the Town & Country Planning Office, and other agencies.
To ensure environmental protection and prevent leakage, safety measures such as double-bagging the cadmium tailings before transportation and regular examination of subterranean water from a monitoring well near the disposal pits every three months have been put in place.
The disposal pits are lined with two layers of 1.5-millimetre HDPE sheets and will be closed off with sand, HDPE sheets, and reinforced concrete once the tailings are buried, reported Bangkok Post.
As it stands, of the 13,382 tonnes of cadmium tailings that were illegally moved from a landfill in Tak, 12,421 tonnes have been found.
These include 6,378 tonnes at J&B Metal Co in Samut Sakhon, 1,034 tonnes at Chin Hong Cheng Inter Tech (2008) Co in Samut Sakhon, 468 tonnes at a warehouse in Khlong Ma Duea in Samut Sakhon, 4,391 tonnes at a warehouse in Chon Buri’s Ban Bung district, and the other 150 tonnes were found at LL0 Metal Co in Bangkok’s Bang Sue district.
