Chonburi —
Villagers in Nongprue, Chonburi province, discovered a large number of black plastic bags containing an unidentified black substance near a local excavation pit. They feared it might be lost hazardous cadmium waste, however Nongprue authorities have stressed that the substance is still undergoing testing and there is no current final determination on what they are.
On April 10th, 2024, local authorities, including the Banglamung District Chief, the Industrial Engineer from the Industrial Office, the Mayor of Nongprue Municipality, and police officers from the Nongprue Police Station, went to inspect the questionable pit in response to complaints from concerned citizens.
There, they discovered a large number of fertilizer bags containing unknown black substances. The substance was in the form of sediment that had spilled out of the damaged bags. They were scattered around the edge of the excavation pit, which is filled with water currently.
According to concerned citizens, the substance raised concerns among nearby villagers, who feared that it could be the 4,000 tons of cadmium waste that have yet to be found from a previous incident.
Samples of the substance were collected for testing to determine if it contained any hazardous materials. In the meantime, the area has been cordoned off and villagers are prohibited from entering.
Mr. Chatchai Pokechap, 55, the caretaker of the excavation site, said that a truck driver had dumped the big bags there about two weeks ago. He did not know what the substance was, but he said that some of it was magnetic, which led him to believe that it was sand used to wash metal, and he guessed it might not be dangerous.
However, Mr. Wikit Rojmanakit, the Banglamung District Chief, said that the area will be closed to the public for now until authorities find out what the substance is. The result is expected to be made public within two days.
Meanwhile, Nongprue police are attempting to identify the truck that had dumped the bags there.
