Lead case will go to court

Kanchanaburi - Residents of Klity village plan to file a billion-baht lawsuit against Lead Concentrates Co for 10 years of activities they allege have poisoned the fish, polluted the creek and endangered the health of every resident.

Some villagers still have high levels of lead in their blood and have received no treatment, according to the latest survey by the Karen Studies and Development Centre.

The villagers last year won a legal battle against the company, which was found guilty of polluting Klity creek and ordered to pay four million baht in damages to each affected villager, who are Karen-Thai.

However, the villagers appealed against the court's verdict, saying the compensation was not enough for them to restore their traditional way of living.

They decided to file a new lawsuit as nothing substantial had been done to remove lead sediment from the water, an essential resource for 300 Karen in the lower Klity village on the rim of Thung yai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary.

"They cannot bear the situation any longer and have decided to ask the Lawyers Council of Thailand for help," said Karen studies centre director Surapong Kongchantuk.

Yaser Nasuansuwan, assistant village head in tambon Nasuan of Si Sawat district, will take 151 of the villagers to file the suit against Lead Concentrates for breach of the Environment Protection Act. They will demand 1.041 billion baht in compensation, Mr Surapong said.

The papers will be lodged with the Kanchanaburi court tomorrow, he said.

Mr Surapong said the Pollution Control Department was reluctant to remove any of the lead-contaminated sediment, as it feared this might cause the lead to spread to other areas including Lam Klong Ngu, a canal that connects to Srinakarin dam, a major source of tap water for the province.