Recommendations

To the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Implement the supreme administrative court ’s judgment by jointly developing and making publicly available an itemized budget to prevent further exposure to lead by cleaning up Klity Creek.

Reverse the policy of “natural remediation” of Klity Creek and adopt the policy of a comprehensive, time-bound environmental clean-up strategy for Klity Creek.

Implement a comprehensive, time-bound environmental clean-up strategy for Klity Creek.
Ensure regular, broad and meaningful public consultation and participation in the development, implementation and monitoring of the clean-up strategy. Include dedicated measures that facilitate the participation of groups that may face specific impacts or that are marginalized, such as women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
To avoid exacerbating exposure to lead, the strategy should anticipate disruptions to food and water sources —including the differential impact such disruptions might have on women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities—during the clean-up and establish viable alternatives that mitigate negative impacts.
Devise a comprehensive environmental clean-up program to address other industrially polluted sites, abandoned or still occupied, that threaten human health in other parts of Thailand.

Revise the current standards for lead in blood to reflect that lead, at levels lower than these standards, is harmful.
Recommence testing of individuals living around Klity Creek. Put in place quality control measures and oversight to ensure that each individual who is tested receives their test results in a timely manner and understands the results.
Ensure that prenatal services for women and girls living around Klity Creek include voluntary lead monitoring.
Ensure all those in need in and around Klity Creek have access to evidence-based medical treatment and case management for lead poisoning. Undertake ongoing monitoring, including of blood lead levels, iron deficiency, neurodevelopmental development, and nutrition.

When blood tests of individuals in and around Klity Creek shows elevated levels of lead, provide social services to ensure that children and adults who have, or may develop, physical and cognitive disabilities as a result of lead poisoning receive disability-related services, including educational, employment, and financial assistance, as provided under the Persons with Disabilities Quality of Life Promotion Act (2007).