Review and Development Strategy Adjustment of Eastern Seaboard Development Program Toward Asean Country in Chachoengsao Province: The Case of Solid Waste and Industrial Hazardous Waste Management

Abstract

This paper reexamines problems in the construction of hazardous waste disposal industries, a growing problem with hazardous waste management, and solutions to this problem. The research deals with qualitative methods on documentary analysis, interviews and field works. The research finds that a large volume of industrial hazardous wastes were produced in the eastern region of Thailand because this area is the large industrial zone of the country. However, the construction of hazardous waste disposal industries has been protested from the local people due to the mistrust of management processes and effects on the environment around the industries. A large number of hazardous wastes and the ineffectiveness of hazardous waste management in this area lead to illegal waste dumping throughout the eastern region, particularly in Nong-Nae sub-district, Chachoengsao province. This area becomes an unauthorised zone for disposing of industrial hazardous waste that has enormous impacts on the environment and increases health risks to the local people although there are not any industries in this area. Given the foregoing, the study suggests measures for industrial hazardous waste management in 6 steps as follows: (1) setting up a center of industrial hazardous waste treatment and disposal in every industrial estate, where any wastes are not allowed to take outside the area; (2) formulating measures to enhance a capacity of local administrative organisations in solving the problem of illegal dumping of industrial hazardous wastes in community-based solid waste disposal zones or public areas; (3) information should be transparent, and the process of people participation in supervising, monitoring and evaluating of the situations, management and solutions of industrial hazardous wastes should be promoted; (4) increasing integrity of all related parts to a supervision on management procedures of industrial hazardous wastes from the beginning to the end of the process with strict law enforcement (5) improving laws and increasing penalties for all offenders; and (6) encouraging the establishment of Community Environment Fund as an assurance to conserve and restore natural resources and environment in the local areas, and promote people's well-being in the community.