Narumas, a Chonburi MP from the People’s Party, criticized the EEC Secretary’s flawed logic in proposing Prachinburi’s inclusion in the EEC to place it under the spotlight and deter investors from illegally dumping toxic waste. She called for resolving existing problems before expanding the area to protect public health and the environment. Tags: [EEC, Prachinburi, toxic waste, environmental policy, industrial pollution, Chonburi]
On 5 Nov 2026 GMT+7, Narumas Piambandit, Chonburi MP for the People’s Party, commented on EEC Secretary Jula Sukmanop’s plan to include Prachinburi in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Jula argued this would put the area in the development “spotlight” and discourage operators from illegally dumping industrial waste. Tags: [Narumas Piambandit, EEC, Prachinburi, industrial waste, policy statement]
Narumas, representing Chonburi — a province included in the EEC from the start — and monitoring industrial waste and toxic contamination closely, challenged this logic using government data. The Ministry of Industry identified five provinces as urgent Group A areas with the most severe industrial waste problems requiring priority inspection: Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong, Prachinburi, and Samut Prakan. Notably, three of these five provinces are already in the EEC and have been under investment spotlight for nearly a decade. If being in a special economic zone truly deterred illegal toxic waste dumping, these three provinces should not be listed as critical. This fact clearly shows that EEC status does not prevent illicit chemical waste dumping. Moreover, as factories expand, hazardous waste requiring management increases proportionally.Tags: [industrial waste, EEC provinces, Ministry of Industry, toxic contamination, environmental monitoring]
Narumas further questioned the EEC Secretary’s idea that development should proceed alongside remediation, warning that waiting for full cleanup would miss investment opportunities. She asked, “Whose opportunity?” pointing out that the cost of simultaneous cleanup and development falls on citizens who live with polluted soil, water, and air daily. Restoring contaminated soil and groundwater takes decades and costs far more than prevention. Currently, the Provincial Waterworks Authority still monitors contamination risks in raw water sources in Ban Sang District, Prachinburi, indicating pollution is nearing public water supplies. Expanding investment areas before resolving existing problems risks public health by gambling on promises of future fixes.Tags: [environmental remediation, public health, Prachinburi, investment policy, pollution risks]
Regarding recent announcements claiming Prachinburi’s industrial waste issues would be resolved by November, Narumas said this communication misleads the public. What is nearing completion is only factory document inspections—not the removal of illegally buried toxic waste, ecosystem restoration, or victim compensation. The rapid inspection of Group A and B factories across ten provinces within three weeks raises questions: is this a fact-finding inspection or merely fulfilling administrative document check targets? She urged the Ministry of Industry to publicly clarify three issues:Tags: [factory inspections, industrial waste, public communication, Ministry of Industry, environmental accountability]
1. Will the inspection results for each factory be transparently disclosed for public scrutiny?Tags: [transparency, factory inspections, public access]
2. Who will be responsible for funding the restoration of areas and water sources already contaminated with chemicals?Tags: [environmental restoration, financial responsibility, pollution cleanup]
3. After November, who will be the main authority responsible for enforcing laws to ensure factories genuinely comply with required improvements?Tags: [law enforcement, factory compliance, environmental regulation]
Narumas emphasized that industrial waste problems stem not from remote locations but from failed legal structures. Pollution emission data is monopolized by state agencies and operators, while affected communities have no right to access this information. Sustainable solutions start with enforcing the law on Pollution Release and Transfer Register (PRTR), installing real-time GPS tracking on industrial waste transport from source to destination, requiring factories classified as types 105 and 106 to provide financial guarantees for environmental restoration, and applying the Polluter Pays Principle. When citizens access the same data as the government, every community can become a spotlight monitoring pollution independently—without waiting for the EEC to intervene.Tags: [environmental law, PRTR, GPS tracking, Polluter Pays Principle, community monitoring]
Narumas concluded that Prachinburi’s inclusion in the EEC can only proceed after illegal toxic waste has been removed and contaminated areas fully restored. Inspection results must be transparently disclosed, and local people must have genuine participation in decisions. She agreed with Minister Warawut Silpa-archa’s statement that industrial development success should be measured not only by investment value or factory numbers but also by benefits to communities and the environment. She urged the government to sincerely apply this principle in deciding on EEC area expansion, rather than forcing communities to bear pollution burdens in exchange for investment figures.Tags: [Prachinburi, EEC expansion, community participation, environmental justice, Minister Warawut Silpa-archa]