Cambodia News, (Battambang Province): Sources from local authorities and residents said that many dead fish are floating in the water of Stung Thvak river (and Stung Sangke) in Ratanak Mondul district, Battambang province. A dark brown poisonous liquid is reported to be coming out of a Chinese factory into the river.

According to the local official, the infected river Stung Thvak, which flows into the upper Sangke River, has affected three communes, including Treng, Andek Hep and Plou Meas communes, Rattanak Mondul district, in Battambang province.
This is the second time that the toxic waste has leaked from a Chinese factory, causing dead fish and severely affecting the area, which is also visited by tourists, and affecting water users.

Sorn Nil, Rattanak Mondul District Police Inspector, said on May 27, 2021 that after receiving the information related to the above case, he and the commune authorities immediately went to the location of the above Chinese factory named Va Kang. The authorities saw that yellow and brown waste was leaking from the reservoir of the Chinese factory, due to recent heavy rainfall which caused the reservoir to overflow, allowing toxic chemicals to flow into the river and killing the fish.

The inspector confirmed that after inspecting, he ordered the owner of the factory to close the leak from the reservoir and advised the factory owner to be careful because if there are any further leaks of toxic waste: "next time, I will report to my superiors for legal action".

Follow-up: Severe wrist-slap for the Chinese factory.

Industrial acid causes fish-kill in Battambang’s Sangke River
Orm Bunthoeurn | Publication date 30 May 2021 | 21:37 ICT

The ministry of Environment is considering disciplinary measures to impose on companies that have leaked acid into the Sangke River in Battambang province, causing a mass fish die-off in the area of the Thvak Natural Resort in Thvak village in Ratanak Mondol district’s Andoeuk Heb commune.

Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra told The Post on May 30 that a technical working group would review the measures on May 31 after receiving the complete information and the results from the laboratory that will show if there were other substances involved.

According to Pheaktra, the ministry’s experts worked in collaboration with officials from the provincial administration to inspect the area immediately after receiving information that there was water pollution in part of the river.

“According to our laboratory test of the Sangke River samples, there is acid in the water that we suspect leaked from the Phoenix Industrial company, which produces preservatives and other products,” he said.

Provincial environment department director Kort Boran said on May 30 that the leak was caused by the heavy rains that occurred several days in a row and flooded the area. He said that by May 30 his department had already prevented further leakage.

Boran noted that the level of acidity in the water has now also been neutralised and there was no serious long-term impact on the river’s environment or biodiversity.

“We will renovate the factory and there will be a fine imposed by the environment ministry. The weather was mainly the cause of the leak, with heavy rains causing water to escape the temporary holding pool of the Chinese company,” he said.

Provincial administration spokesman Soeum Bunrith confirmed on May 30 that the authorities require that the company takes steps to ensure that such chemical spills do not happen again.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... ngke-river

Wherever they go, Chinese businesses usually end up in trouble due to their complete disregard for the safety of water, earth and local communities.

Headline: Chinese banana plantations bring work and pollution to Laos

https://chinadialogue.net/en/food/11572 ... to-laos-2/

Headline: Recycled electronics are turning Thailand into a 'dumping ground for hazardous waste'

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/ ... s/11274578

Ultimately, the all-consuming western nations are to blame for trying to dump its own waste problems on Southeast Asia.

This is so sad......