[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

DAM-L LS: Thai senate proposes to stop Klong Dan project (fwd)

----- Forwarded message from owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net -----

Return-path: <owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net>
Received: from DaVinci.NetVista.net (mjdomo@mail.netvista.net [206.170.46.10])
	by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.8.7/8.8.8) with ESMTP id VAA10229
	for <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>; Thu, 3 May 2001 21:47:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net
Received: [by DaVinci.NetVista.net (8.10.0/8.8.8) id f441gti19093
	for irn-mekong-list; Thu, 3 May 2001 18:42:55 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net)]
Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 18:42:55 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200105040142.f441gti19093@DaVinci.NetVista.net>
Subject: LS: Thai senate proposes to stop Klong Dan project
Sender: owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net
Precedence: bulk

Thai senate proposes to stop Klong Dan project

3 May 2001, summarized from Phu Jad Kan newspaper

Today the Thai senate will hold a special meeting to discuss the Klong Dan 
wastewater treatment project and give some recommendations to the 
government concerning the project s impacts on the environment and 
livelihoods of local people.

  The Senate Subcommittee on Environment believes that the government 
should review this project, and while such a review is underway, halt 
construction in order to prevent negative impacts on the environment, 
natural resources, livelihoods and community economic well-being, as well 
as to lessen conflict between the project opponents and government 
agencies. Therefore, the government should:

Stop the whole process of this project. The Factory Act 1992 must be 
enforced to deal with the wastewater treatment problems, as it states that 
each factory must have its own wastewater treatment facility. A central 
wastewater treatment plant is not necessary, but the Factory Act must be 
strictly enforced by state officials.
Alternative, smaller-scale wastewater treatment systems should be proposed, 
using the existing pipelines already installed for the Klong Dan system. 
There is no need for one single, large plant, but rather build smaller 
plants locally in each community area as needed.
If the government wants to propose any project, they should include local 
public participation and cooperation in the decision-making process.

  The Subcommittee also raised the following issues about the project:

Why did the Pollution Control Department and implementing company choose 
the Klong Dan area to build the project even though there were 10 other 
alternatives? Choosing the site at Klong Dan, 20 kilometres from the 
pollution source, has been a waste of the national budget, because of the 
extra piping and tunnels required to transport the wastewater to the 
treatment site.
Building a number of small, local treatment plants, rather than a large 
single plant, would be more economically viable.
This project will impact on the local communities with respect to 
fisheries, environmental quality and the marine ecosystems that support 
their livelihoods.
The sludge and odour from the plant will threaten the health of local 
communities.
According to the 1992 Factory Act Article 7, the project s executing agency 
was required to apply to the Department of Industry for permission to build 
the plant, because it is a central wastewater treatment plant (local plants 
do not require permission).

According to the 1992 National Environmental Law Article 48, an 
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was required to be carried out for 
the project prior to construction (any project requiring permission from 
the Department of Industry must be subject to an EIA).

  


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to majordomo@netvista.net
with no subject and the following text in the body of the message
"unsubscribe irn-mekong".

----- End of forwarded message from owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net -----