Bangkok Post
January 18, 2001

Senators yesterday denounced the Klong Dan waste water treatment project in Samut Prakan, saying it would destroy the livelihood of a self-sufficient community.A petition, signed by 102 senators, was submitted yesterday to the scheme’s creditor, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), pressing for a review of the project.

Signatories included Panat Tasneeyanond, chairman of the senate committee on the environment, Jon Ungphakorn and Kaewsan Atibodhi.

The senators asked the ADB to reconsider the 9.9-billion baht loan to the project in line with its anti-corruption and good governance policies.

The ADB should not support a project plagued with corruption scandals, especially the land purchase which is believed to benefit some influential people and politicians, they said.

The senators also pledged to press the new government to reconsider the water treatment plant.

Senator Nirand Pitakwatchara, of Ubon Ratchathani, said the project went against the human-centred development concept endorsed by the ADB.

In financing it, the bank would contribute to the destruction of local people, their livelihood and a self-sufficient economy, he said. Senator Chirmsak Pinthong, of Bangkok, said the vast amounts of treated water from the plant would threaten fisheries, especially mussle farming.

Pollution was mainly generated by industries. It was unfair to
force local people to bear the brunt of problems they do not create, he said.

“The polluter-pays principle is not well observed here. This project was planned because state officials cannot force factories to abide by the law by not releasing waste water into the environment in the first place,” he said.

The treatment system would be capable of eliminating only 95% of heavy metals from the waste water, leaving the remaining 5% in the discharged water and turning Klong Dan, an agricultural zone, into a dump site.

“A system using aerobic digestion is suitable for household waste discharge.

Therefore, heavy metals will be a major problem,” Senator Kraisak Choonhavan, of Nakhon Ratchasima, said. Pollution control officials said the senators were biased.

Yuwaree Inna, director of water quality management, said most had never discussed the issue with pollution control officials.

“We are ready to give access to all contracts and other related documents,” she said.

In an email response to a query by the Bangkok Post, Craig Steffensen, ADB’s resident adviser, expressed confidence the project would lead to environmental improvement.

“This project was designed to take an integrated approach to minimise waste water pollution at both source and final treatment points. We expect the levels of organic pollution, toxic waste and heavy metals will be significantly reduced.”He rejected charges the ADB had not followed its anti-corruption and good governance policy in supporting the project.

“We have followed our policies and operational procedures. When we received a similar complaint from the Klong Dan villagers some months ago, we responded by conducting a thorough review and determined that there were no such violations,” he said.