AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
The Marine Department is set to proceed with damage assessment and rehabilitation in Koh Samet's Ao Phrao now the clean-up of the PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) oil spill is almost complete.
Department chief Sorasak Saensombat said the damage caused by the oil spill will be reported by two parties locals who are directly affected, and state agencies who are involved in the clean-up and rehabilitation efforts, such as the navy and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.
He said whether the Marine Department will sue PTTGC and its parent group PTT depends on the findings of an investigation supervised by the Energy Ministry.
"If it turns out to be an accident we will not take legal action because they have agreed to take responsibility. If it is a case of negligence, we will take legal action," he said.
Mr Sorasak said the result of tests on sand, seawater and water would be ready on Aug 13. If no contamination is detected, Ao Phrao is likely to be reopened soon.
Initial tests show the level of oil spill contaminants in water samples is 9.6 milligrammes a litre, below the safety standard of 15mg/l while tests on seafood show no contamination, he said.
He said the department has also looked into PTTGC's handling of the oil spill and found it proceeded with the emergency action plan.
Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt said the ministry will not set up a committee to investigate the slick out of concerns that it will overlap with the Energy Ministry's probe.
He said the Energy Ministry's findings will be used to improve emergency response plans. The Marine Department has published information about the oil slick on its website, www.md.go.th. It answers 11 questions covering the oil pipeline system and its safety, chemicals used in the clean-up, and food safety in the wake of the spill.
Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) said it will cancel plans to sue PTTGC if the firm agrees to pay for the damage caused by the spill.
Department chief Wichien Jungrungruang said a sub-committee chaired by the Marine Department chief will monitor the rehabilitation work in Ao Phrao and nearby locations.
It will evaluate damage to the ecology and business operators.
The findings will then be submitted to the committee on prevention and eradication of water pollution caused by crude oil exposure, which is headed by the transport minister.
"We expect to obtain an initial damage cost in three months. But the extent of the long-term damage may take one year to establish," he told a seminar on the spill held by the Environment Reporters Club yesterday.
PTT representative Pallop Mungkornchai admitted the spill was hard to control because the company had not trained its staff how to respond in worstcase scenarios.
"Our most recent drill was conducted in May when the sea was very smooth.Everything went according to plan," he said."But last week's accident occurred during bad weather and strong waves. "We couldn't control the problem in such circumstances. We learned a valuable lesson." Mr Pallop insisted PTT has followed regulations in using oil dispersant.
It had obtained permission from the PCD to use the dispersant in an area where the water was less than 10m deep.
The company is setting up a committee to investigate the amount of chemical dispersant that was used and the actual amount of crude oil which had leaked into the sea.