The Industry Ministry has suspended the operations of a sugarcane mill in Lop Buri over concerns about air pollution.
Large factories across the country are required to install a Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) in a bid to curb air pollution.
Sugar TN Industry Co Ltd in Lop Buri was ordered to suspend its operations at its mill in Tha Luang district after a recent inspection by the ministry detected irregularities with the mill's CEMS, which the inspectors said failed to meet the ministry's minimum standards.
The inspection confirmed complaints lodged by nearby residents who said black smoke and molasses often leaked out of the mill, causing odour issues.
As a result, the Industry Ministry ordered the firm to halt operation immediately, and repair its emission control systems to meet the ministry's minimum standards by Jan 31.
It stressed the factory must achieve full compliance with the minimum requirements before operations can resume.
The suspension came after the ministry ordered 57 sugarcane processing facilities across the country to stop buying sugarcane for seven days over the New Year holiday.
This step was imposed in an effort to reduce air pollution caused by the illegal burning of sugarcane, Industry Minister Akanat Promphan said yesterday.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Akanat announced that 57 sugarcane processing facilities across the country have been ordered to temporarily stop buying sugarcane from Dec 27 to Jan 2.
The measure is intended to curb air pollution from sugar cane burning during the New Year holidays, and improve road safety by reducing the number of sugarcane delivery trucks on the road, he said.