PRACHIN BURI, March 23 (TNA) — Prachin Buri governor on Wednesday met the villagers who lived around the steel smelting plant where the radiation from caesium-137 was found contaminated in the area as many villagers were worrying about the radioactivity.
Prachin Buri Governor Ronnarong Nakornjinda on Wednesday went to the community located near the steel smelting plant to talks with the villagers and to make them to have more understanding about the incident.
The community is at Had Nang Kaeo sub-district in Kabin Buri which situated around the plant “KPP Steel” where the radiated “red dust” is found.
The red dust left over from the metal melting process has traces of Caesium-137.
The governor briefed them the background of the incident. He ordered the closure of the smelting factory temporarily and the plant was now under the process to check the level of the radioactive. The site was off-limits to unauthorized people.
Apart from investigation of radiation, the authorities were checking the health condition of the workers and all of them found healthy. The authorities also checked the radiation around the community and declared the area was safe and the villagers could have their normal lives.
Moreover, the officials from the Office of Atoms for Peace and the local staff of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation were jointly inspect the radioactive in soil, water and air at communities around the plant.
Four communities in three-kilometer radius around the plant were checked on Tuesday and the radiation found is equal to the natural level.
On Wednesday, the authorities expanded the inspection to cover nine communities in 10-kilometer radius around the plant.
The governor said the move was aimed to build confidence among the villagers and he asserted to ease the worry of the villagers.
On Wednesday, the officials from the Office of Atoms for Peace brought 50 personal radiation detection devices for long term detection for the villagers and volunteers who lived in five-kilometer radius around the plant.
They have to carry the devices with them during doing the routine daily lives. The devices have bands to record the radioactive level. After one month, the devices will be taken to read the data. The devices are the standard tools to check the radioactive level.
Anyone who fears that they were in the risk group, the authorities were ready to get the urine samples for further inspection.
The farmers in the areas complained that they have started to get the impact. Their fruits were sent back as they have to leave the marian plum or maprang to be rotten at the trees. They said the markets were worrying about the safety, fearing the fruits will be contaminated with the radioactive.
At Khun Lung Dej orchard, varieties of mangoes are about to be released to the markets after Songkran festival. The orchard also has cashew nut, jackfruit, and custard apple.
The orchard owner wanted the authorities to tell the society to widely realised hat the area is safe.
The officials from the Department of Health have taken the samples of the fruits to check at the labs and will issue the safety certificate to the agriculturists to ease their worry. (TNA)
