An executive of an industrial waste management company has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison, and the firm has been fined 250,000 baht in connection with the illegal dumping of chemical substances in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2021.
The Sikhiu Provincial Court found Varalee Kijsa-ard, an executive of Aek Uthai Co, Klang Dong branch, guilty of violating environmental and public health laws, according to Wiroj Srisang, mayor of Simamogkol in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima.
Ms Varalee received a two-year prison sentence for violating the Hazardous Substances Act, and an additional six months for breaching public health regulations. She has been temporarily released on bail, set at 70,000 baht.
Aek Uthai Co was also found guilty of the charges and fined 250,000 baht for both offences.
The complaint was filed by the Department of Industrial Works in 2021 after it was discovered that the company had illegally disposed of chemical substances in an unauthorised location, posing a threat to public health.
In its ruling, the court dismissed the defendants’ arguments as invalid and inconsistent with official documents submitted by the Department of Pollution Control, the Department of Underground Water Resources, and Simamogkol municipality.
Jullapong Thaveesri, the director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, said the fine imposed on the company was the maximum allowed by law for the offences in question.
He said the Ministry of Industry was planning to set up a committee to draft revised laws for management of chemical and hazardous substances, with stricter penalties for violations.
Further legal action would be taken against the company to ensure it is held responsible for the proper removal and disposal of the chemical substances, as well as the rehabilitation of the affected environment, Mr Jullapong added.