Map Ta Phut Residents Demand Resolution Of Conflict

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Map ta phut residents demand resolution of conflict

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Claim hazardous industrial waste contaminating fish, natural reservoirs

A group of 100 residents from Map Ta Phut, in Rayong province, demonstrated outside the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry yesterday, demanding the declaration of an environmentalcontrol zone in three villages to control industrial activities strictly.

They said their action followed the discovery that natural reservoirs in their villages and fish in the reservoirs had been contaminated by hazardous substances leaking from nearby industrial areas.

The three villages are Muang district's tambon Ban Lang, Bang Khai district's tambon Ban Boot and Wang Chan district's tambon Pa Yup Nai.

The protesters said the areas concerned were among the province's biggest agricultural districts. They were also the source of community water. Villagers used the areas for conventional agricultural pursuits, as well as for growing herbal trees, oil palm and rubber plantations.

"The environment in our villages is now at a crisis point," said a coordinator of the Public Network in the East, Suthi Atchasai, who led yesterday's group and handed a petition to the ministry's permanent secretary Chot Trachoo.

He said the group had asked the ministry to declare the area an environmentalcontrol zone because a company was planning to extend its industrial activities to cover areas in all three villages. Within an environmentalcontrol zone, any activities that might cause harmful affects on the environment, natural ecosystems and people's health would not be allowed to proceed.

"The industrial activities that will be extended in the near future will cause a severe impact on the health of local people and on the environment," Suthi said.

The group also asked the ministry to comply with and strictly enforce the pollutioncontrol zone announced by the Pollution Control Department in 2009. Two years after the announcement, the villagers claim the state of the environment is becoming worse and worse and will soon be a risk to public health.

"We give the ministry a month to resolve this problem. We will come back again if there is no progress," Suthi said.

Meanwhile, the Central Administrative Court declined to issue a temporary injunction on Wednesday to suspend nine industrial projects in the petrochemical, steel, powergeneration, coalandgas, and mining industries and port construction, in the Map Ta Phut area and in Prachin Buri province.

The injunction had been sought by the Stop Global Warming Association on the grounds that the industrial project and their activities would have potentially serious impacts on people's health and the environment.

The association plans to appeal against the court's decision rejecting its case for a temporary injunction.

"We will appeal against the court's verdict within 30 days," association president Srisuwan Janya said yesterday.

The court said the association gave insufficient reasons to issue a temporary injunction. Moreover, there was no evidence to show that the complainant would be affected by these industrial activities.

Srisuwan said one of the projects, the Huay Samong Dam, would be constructed in future within the Khao Yai World Heritage site.

"Villagers in Prachin Buri province worry about the environmental impact in this area, as some trees have already been cut by construction gangs.

"There are no related environmental agencies to protect this area," he said

-- The Nation 2011-03-04

[dumball]

More pussy-footing by the powers that be to clear up an ongoing problem that has the potential of becoming an ecological disaster for local folk , are they scared of loosing out on a lucrative money making process for themselves , and so unconcerned for the villagers future welfare ?

[jimbeam1]

Perhaps another charge that can be laid on Abhisit, next week.

jb1

[asiawatcher]

This has been going on for years but a minority of villagers - about 100 - do not rate in the governmental system in Thailand - and neither does the environment.