Paper factory in Khon Kaen

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ENVIRONMENT

Phoenix's green project bears rich fruit

NAREERAT WIRIYAPONG

KHON KAEN : After years of hard work, Phoenix Pulp and Paper Plc (PPPC) is winning the hearts of its neighbours in Khon Kaen, proof that an industrial factory can live happily with the community in which it operates.

PPPC, which was once on the brink of collapse under the weight of numerous environmental complaints and lawsuits, last year joined with Khon Kaen University to launch a campaign that allows people living near its factory in Nam Phong district to research environmental impacts caused by its facility.

The joint effort followed several projects launched by Siam Cement Group (SCG), which acquired a majority stake and management control of the pulp producer since 2005.

So far, about 10 Nam Phong villagers have joined the campaign as researchers to observe PPPC's environmental projects such as the raising of fish in a vast reservoir right behind the factory, and the planting of economic crops including rice, corn, and sugarcane using the waste water from the factory.

These local researchers worked alongside researchers from the University of Khon Kaen to witness the actual outcomes of the projects and help disseminate information among the villagers.

''These local researchers help explain what they saw from Phoenix' s projects by using common words that are easy for the villagers to understand,'' said Netnapid Tantensapya, assistant professor at the university's environmental engineering department, who has jointly conducted the research with the local residents since last year.

''We just provide them the support, so that the villagers would not think that our researchers are taking Phoenix's side,'' she added.

Four months have passed since the launch of the programme and now the fish-raising project is in its second phase, with the project's area being expanded. Fish caught in the first phase were sold to the local market.

''Of course, the fish contain chemical substances but not at levels that are harmful to human health. However, we advise them not to eat a lot of [fish] livers to avoid excessive accumulation as fish are their main food,'' Ms Netnapid said.

Singkhon Yostinthien, a former head of the Nam Phong tambon administration, who has joined the PPPC fish project, said the money gained from fish sales had been used to develop the project.

''Sometimes, the fish from PPPC's project are bigger than those caught from the Phong River but the limited space makes them grow up in a confined area,'' said Mr Singkhon.

''We have also tried to encourage our kids to observe the developments around the factory.''

Meanwhile, crops are planted alongside eucalyptus trees as part of PPPC's ''Project Green,'' which covers more than 4,000 rai. One hundred and five villagers are employed to look after them.

Rice from Project Green now yields 0.75 tonnes per rai, compared to 0.63 tonnes outside PPPC's area, said Project Green manager Pisit Chantarasareerak.

Sugarcane at Phoenix also gives a yield of up to 23 tonnes per rai, compared to the average of 15-18 tonnes of that grown by local villagers, he added.

''What we want to show from this project is that waste water from an industrial plant is clean enough to grow crops and raise fish if it has been properly treated,'' Mr Pisit said.

Phoenix's activated sludge system can serve a maximum of 60,000 cubic metres of waste water a day from its pulp-producing process, which currently amounts to 22,000 cubic metres daily.