The summer season is marked by an increase in the risk of fire at landfills and waste treatment plants. The situation is such that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is calling for increased precautionary measures at these facilities to avoid fires and the resulting air pollution problems.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) has urged concerned agencies and the general public to be on guard against the possibility of fires at landfills and waste treatment plants as the country transitions to summer.
Athapol Charoenshunsa, director general of the Pollution Control Department (PCD), said the department has listed landfills with improper garbage disposal practices as well as waste-to-energy power plants across the country as fire risk areas.
Open fires on farmland surrounding these facilities are also a fire hazard, which can result in the emission of airborne particles, harmful gases such as hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide, and carcinogens such as dioxins.
The department is now asking concerned agencies and the general public to be extra vigilant about landfill fires and to report any suspicious activity to the appropriate officials for immediate remediation.
