A court in Rayong has ordered the waste recycling company Win Process Co to pay 1.74 billion baht in compensation after finding the hazardous waste recycling company guilty of severely polluting the environment.
Rayong Provincial Court on Monday ruled that Win Process's waste recycling plant in Ban Khai district contaminated the environment surrounding the Nong Pawa community.
The court reached this decision after a probe by the Department of Pollution Control determined that soil and water samples collected from the area were heavily contaminated with hazardous chemicals.
Back in 2022, the court ordered the company to pay 20.82 million baht to compensate 15 residents who were affected by the plant's activities. However, the company refused to pay, saying it was unable to do so as it had been declared bankrupt.
The order concluded a decade-long fight by residents in the area for compensation over the severe pollution from the plant.
Penchom Saetang, executive director of Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH), on Monday called the ruling "a great victory", before praising state agencies for their cooperation.
That said, local residents will still file a case with the Criminal Court to have the company's assets confiscated and auctioned off to pay the compensation amount ordered by the court.
She said the rehabilitation process for the area's natural water sources and topsoil, which have been contaminated with hazardous chemicals and heavy metals, will begin this year.
According to her, the Department of Pollution Control is in the process of amending the nation's industry-related rules and regulations.
If passed, the amendments will require companies dealing with any form of hazardous materials to contribute to a central rehabilitation fund, she said, to ensure there are funds for environmental rehabilitation and compensation in the case of an accident in the future.