On 15 May 2021, Mr. Athapol Charoenshunsa, Director General of Pollution Control Department (PCD), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) revealed that PCD and the U.S. Embassy (Bangkok) have discussed in the consultation meeting (via the virtual meeting) regarding the initiatives and guideline for collaboration between PCD and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) on building capacity of PCD’s staffs in pollution management. The Director General also thanked the U.S. Embassy (Bangkok) for giving priority to the development of collaboration between the United States of America and PCD especially in environmental protection and pollution management issues. For further action, PCD would determine action plan, budget, as well as the enhancement of collaboration by conducting Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and joint meetings. The first meeting would focus on the presentation of USEPA structure, laws, and work pattern of USEPA staffs, as well as the presentation of USEPA implementation in addressing various pollution problems. The next meetings would be the presentation of examples and guidelines in addressing problems of water and air pollution, solid wastes, hazardous wastes, and chemicals.

In the consultation meeting, PCD and the U.S. Embassy (Bangkok) discussed about pattern and guideline for collaboration with USEPA on building personnel capacity, upgrading technology development, environmental law and enforcement to apply with PCD’s organizational work especially the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU). This would bring about efficiency of PCD’s mission implementation which could enforce law with pollution sources or offenders intensively and rapidly, compensate are impact on people, and restore are environment. In this regard, PCD has proposed the collaboration projects with USEPA in advance such as Capacity Building on Contaminated Site Assessment and Management, Capacity Building and Technology Transfer for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, Thailand (NPDES-Thailand), Development of Effluent Standard from Ships, and Guideline for Microplastic Concentration in Sanctuary Areas.

However, Mr. Athapol has emphasized and given first priority to the issues on strengthening PCD’s staffs especially in waste and hazardous waste management as well as improving related environmental law by applying from USEPA’s success stories in order to bring about Thailand’s capability and efficiency on development of law enforcement with pollution sources later.

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