An initial inspection by the Pollution Control Department’s branch in Samut Sakhon province, where 15,000 tonnes of carcinogenic cadmium waste were being stored in smelting warehouses, has revealed that no people have been affected by the chemical so far, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Patcharawat Wongsuwan has said.

Officials from the department in Bangkok have been assigned to work with provincial officials to check for contamination inside the warehouses, as well as in the surrounding air and natural resources.

They are also tasked with informing the public about the dangers of the cadmium waste, the minister added.

Patcharawat stated that, if the chemical remains in enclosed areas, it would not impact the environment or the vicinity, but the ministry remains concerned about its presence in the province.

Samut Sakhon’s governor Phol Damtham, meanwhile, has declared the areas surrounding the warehouses a disaster zone, prohibiting entry due to the discovery of the cadmium waste, which were illegally transported from the northern province of Tak.

He said that cadmium waste has been transported to the area since August last year and he has ordered its return to the original site in Tak within seven days.