Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said he has deployed 50 teams to inspect 1,500 factories amid growing concerns of toxic electronic waste dumping.
At a House meeting on Thursday, Mr Varawut responded to questions from Watcharapong Sirirak, an opposition People’s Party MP for Rayong, about electronic waste affecting Rayong, the Eastern Economic Corridor and Prachin Buri.
Mr Watcharapong pointed to a waste disposal operation that involved smuggling, crushing and mixing waste with soil before it was used to fill land in the region.
He questioned why authorities had failed to resolve the problem and called for stricter inspections, prosecutions, compensation for victims and immediate environmental rehabilitation.
Mr Varawut acknowledged shortcomings in previous enforcement efforts, noting that industrial facilities sometimes operated as waste-sorting warehouses and that authorities might have failed to inspect all of the thousands of factories in provinces like Samut Prakan and Rayong.
He said his ministry has established 50 inspection teams to examine more than 1,500 factories holding licences under categories 105 and 106.
Results are expected within one to two months, he said.
Mr Varawut also agreed to Mr Watcharapong’s proposal for closer scrutiny of high-risk imports that could include electronic waste and maximum penalties for offenders.
Mr Varawut said amendments to the Department of Industrial Work’s regulation were being considered to increase penalties.