A Bad Morning on the Expressway

Authorities completely mishandled disposal of toxic chemicals which leaked from a trailer truck after a pre-dawn accident on the expressway yesterday. Hundreds of blind students and young orphans were left to fend for themselves against exposure to the cancer-causing chemical acrylonitrile, or vinyl cyanide.

About three tonnes of inflammable and volatile acrylonitrile leaked from a 18-wheel truck after it rolled onto its side as driver Sanit Chinnok tried to avoid colliding with a pick-up truck around 4.30am, about 300 metres from the Yommarat toll plaza.

The clean-up by officials from the Pollution Control Department, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Fire Brigade went against guidelines stipulated by the United Nations and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The guidelines strongly warn against washing away the substance into the sewer. A manual says people should immediately be evacuated from the danger area; the chemical should be collected into containers; remaining liquid should be absorbed using sand or other inert substances; and the whole lot moved to safe place.

None of the guidelines were followed.

No-one turned up to evacuate orphans and blind students who spend their days close to the site. An official from the orphanage said several youngsters cried uncontrollably, apparently after inhaling the toxic vapour. Sufferers were given first-aid treatment.

Again contrary to the guidelines, the toxic chemical was washed away into the stormwater system below the expressway, which is also close to the school.

Sumetha Vichienpet, a C-7 official from the Pollution Control Department, said authorities used foam to spray the truck and the chemical to prevent it from catching fire. Water was sprayed on the chemical to wash it down the drain.

The proper way to deal with the spillage was to absorb the spilled liquid and remove it to a safe place, said the official. The owner of the chemical would normally be told to get rid of it.

Even worse, Pollution Control Department officials yesterday afternoon poured chlorine into the drains to neutralise the chemical.

Charupong Boonlong, the department's deputy director-general, said people transporting hazardous chemicals may have to use specific routes through the city. A meeting would discuss the question.

Headmistress of Phaya Thai school for the blind, Renoo Duandao, said she made more than 10 telephone calls to various authorities seeking advice, to no avail.

Several students suffered eye irritation and burning sensations to the skin. She finally decided to evacuate her 200-plus students to a school in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi.

While disposal of the spillage was conducted in a poor manner against all the guidelines stipulated in the manual, expressway officials also failed to notify motorists of the accident, resulting in a traffic gridlock which dragged on for hours.

The spill prompted the ETA to close several sections of the expressway heading toward Chaeng Watthana. But thanks to poor co-ordination with expressway officials at other toll plazas such as the one at Bang Na, many motorists were allowed into the ex-pressway and eventually got stuck in the traffic.

Traffic on the expressway bound for Chaeng Watthana ground to halt for about five hours as officials tried to dispose of the spillage and to move the overturned truck out to Pathum Thani.

Pol Lt-Col Anusilp Sirivejchapan, deputy superintendent of expressway police, said the driver was charged with reckless driving and faced a 1,000-baht fine. Sufferers could sue the company which owned the chemical, Sri Thai. The expressway would also demand compensation from the transport company.