Nuclear reactor in thailand, huh?

Lack of data breach of charter _ expert

Atomic agency says all standards met

The recent approval by the nuclear energy authority for the building of a research reactor in Nakhon Nayok, despite outdated geographical data, violates the International Atomic Energy Agency's safety regulations, an expert said yesterday.

A construction permit was granted for the 10-megawatt reactor late last month when the National Commission of Atomic Energy for Peace gave the go-ahead to the project which has been stalled for six years.

This means the reactor will be built even though the project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) study was earlier rejected by the National Environment Board because the data was incomplete.

The 1998 EIA, which details ways to minimise any adverse impact caused by the reactor, failed to convince the board about plans to cope with possible geographic fault lines and flooding in Ongkharak district, where the reactor is to be built.

``If Thailand wants to install this reactor, it must follow the IAEA's Technical Document 403 [Tecdoc-403]'' which sets safety guidelines for siting research reactors, said the EIA expert, who asked not to be named.

The document lists earthquakes and flooding as among major issues for consideration. But, the expert said, the EIA failed to provide complete information about this, which was why the environment board declined to give its approval.

``Even the names of those who conducted the EIA were not given,'' he said, referring to the version prepared by King Mongkut University of Technology Lat Krabang.

However, Pathom Yamkate, secretary-general of the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace, said his office sent additional data on fault lines and floods, as required by Tecdoc-403, to a separate panel of nuclear experts assigned to consider safety aspects of the research reactor.

The information was considered by the group along with other safety issues in Tecdoc-403 by the group, which eventually gave its approval, Mr Pathom said.

``The reactor was designed to withstand earthquakes of a higher magnitude than set out in the Tecdoc,'' he said.

Floods should not be a matter of concern as records showed water levels would not be so high as to inundate Ongkharak, Mr Pathom said.

The office was now waiting for San Diego-based General Atomic, which won the 3.3-billion-baht contract, to confirm when work could start.

During the expected three-year construction, the EIA would be improved to make it more acceptable.

Mr Pathom admitted the existing EIA needed further elaboration. However, he said, the original version was first prepared for his office's own use, not for the environment board's consideration. It was also prepared under budget constraints, he added.

--Bangkok Post 2003-10-29