Officials inspect aluminum scrap containers at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi, uncovering hazardous e-waste contamination. PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD), in collaboration with the Department of Industrial Works (DIW) and the Customs Department, has uncovered hazardous waste in six imported shipping containers at Laem Chabang Port. Declared as “mixed metal scrap (aluminum scrap),” the containers—totaling over 110 tons—were found to contain lead-contaminated electronic circuit boards, classifying them as hazardous waste under the Basel Convention. Ms. Preeyaporn Suwannakes, Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, stated that the inspection team, which included representatives from the Chonburi Governor’s Office and the Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand Foundation (EARTH), confirmed the presence of electronic waste listed under Category 5.2, Item 2.18 of Thailand’s Hazardous Substances Act B.E. 2535 (1992). These items fall under the scope of the Basel Convention, which regulates the transboundary movement of hazardous waste. The Director-General emphasized that the shipment entered Thailand without prior approval from the DIW or consent from the destination country, a violation of both Thai law and the principles of the Basel Convention. Notably, the United States—the country of origin—has not ratified the Basel Convention and therefore lacks the legal authority to export hazardous waste to countries that are signatories, such as Thailand. As Thailand’s official Basel Convention coordination center, the PCD will notify the Convention Secretariat and coordinate with the DIW to engage relevant U.S. authorities. Thailand is expediting the return of the illegal shipment to prevent the country from becoming a dumping ground for foreign hazardous waste. (TNA)