July 7, 2012:

Bangchak oil refinery's second fire in less than two years has jolted the nerves of nearby residents who live in sometimes densely packed communities.  In this bird’s eye view photo, WatKlong Toey Nai community is seen located adjacent to oil tanks at Shell oil depot in Bangkok’s KlongToey district. The fire at Bangchak oil refinery on Wednesday has raised fears about the safety of the community situated near the oil depot, but manyresidents say they do not want to relocate. KOSOL NAKACHOL. Many are ready to leave the area, some have no choice but to stay, while others feel happy to live in the high-risk zone if the refinery can guarantee its safety measures. But it is the "if" that has many worried.

The blast and fire at the refinery in Bangkok's Phra Khanong district on Wednesday caused extensive damage to the facility. It also raised very serious questions about the company's safety measures. Those residents who want to move away insist a second fire in less than two years is too much to take. The refinery went up in flames in January last year. That incident and Wednesday's fire were thought to have been caused by a hydrogen leak. The residents said although no one was injured in either blaze, they no longer felt safe. "Where is it safe?" said Somyos Banju, 41, whose house is in Sukhumvit Soi 62. He and about 10 family members have lived there for more than 10 years.

"I heard a very loud bang and I rushed outside to see what was happening. I saw a plume of thick black smoke," he said. Mr Somyos said his trust in the company's safety measures has ebbed after the two fires. However, the refinery is almost 50 years old and urban expansion has put it smack in the middle of the city. "No one wants to live near the refinery if they can help it. But some people have no choice," he said. Mr Somyos believes industry and communities can live side-by-side if safety measures are well maintained. "Yes, I want to move to a safer place, but to where is the problem," he said. Tenants at Aue Amorn Suk Condominium at Sukhumvit Soi 62 were also wondering whether to stay.

Thanikarn Khechanlai, 38, who has run a barber shop at the condo for 15 years, said her shop was shaken during the blast which preceded the fire. She ran out and saw people screaming and running amok. She said the explosion was less of a concern than the potentially toxic air pollution the fire created. She thinks she should move rather than wait for the plant to relocate. Sawan Rak-kwarm-jing, 45, another condo tenant, felt it is the residents who should leave. "If there is anyone who has to go, it might be us because we came [after the refinery was built]," she said. Meanwhile, another group of residents near the oil depot owned by Shell Co in Klong Toey said they did not understand what all the fuss was about. They said they had full confidence in Shell's safety measures. Three communities - Wat Klong Toey Nai 1, Wat Klong Toey Nai 2 and Wat Klong Toey Nai 3 - sit adjacent to the Shell oil depot on Na Ranong Road. There are about 800 houses and more than 2,000 residents in total.

Somsri Sathansathit, 59, a deputy chair of Wat Klong Toey Nai 2 community, said she had moved from Nonthaburi province and settled in the community more than four decades ago. The flurry of calls for the relocation of large oil depots away from the city is the least of her concerns. Mrs Somsri is also a grocer and lives with her husband and their two children in the community. "I have lived here for a long time. I know my way around the place very well and I don't see the need to relocate. More importantly, staff of Shell Co have had safety measures in place for years," Mrs Somsri said. In 1993, the company installed water mains connected to fire-extinguishing valves throughout the community. The system provides assurance and peace of mind to the residents. The company staff hold fire drills in the communities and in its oil depot once a year.

Ampai Saisen, a 46-year-old housewife in Wat Klong Toey Nai 2, said she has no intention of vacating the neighbourhood. She believes Shell has to safeguard its own assets and, in the process, the residents are also protected. "There have been fires in our community. After a major fire in the community in 1992, Shell installed the water mains to fight fires in the future," Mrs Ampai said. Preecha Ruangruen, a 53-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, who also lives in one of the Klong Toey communities, said the company installed pipes and pumps that could draw water from the nearby Chao Phraya River to battle any blazes. Ms Somsri, Ms Ampai and Mr Preecha agreed that they do not want the oil depot to move away. They believe that if a fire breaks out, staff of the company will reach their community faster than fire fighters. They said local people have nothing to fear from the depot. On the contrary, the company has a reason to fear what might happen to the communities because its safety and enormous assets are at stake.

Yongyuth Romchatthong, director of the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department, said oil refineries and depots usually employ their own highly experienced fire-fighting teams. They also have sufficient resources to protect their valuable assets while his department was on standby in case they sought assistance if a fire breaks out. His department and the petroleum installations store enough foam to fight fires. He conceded it would be difficult to relocate the refineries away from communities. He suggested parties concerned implement effective measures to let both petroleum facilities and nearby communities co-exist in a safe environment. Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the extent of the fire at the Bangchak refinery may have been underestimated and so there was a delay in sounding the alarm and people living around the facility panicked. He said the relevant parties had a responsibility to quickly inform people nearby of a fire and what they should do. The governor insisted that he would discuss the possibility of moving oil refineries and weapons arsenals away from heavily populated areas of Bangkok.

By Bangkok Post