Strict Regulations Needed To Protect Map Ta Phut Environment

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Strict regulations needed to protect Map Ta Phut environment: NHC

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

The National Health Commission (NHC) is planning to call on the Cabinet to designate Map Ta Phut and its surrounding areas as an environmentprotection zone in order to control pollution and resolve the health problems of residents, NHC's secretarygeneral Dr Amphon Jindawattana said yesterday.

The NHC executive board came up with this proposal during its meeting yesterday at Government House.

Amphon said the commission wanted the government to instruct the National Environment Board to officially make Map Ta Phut and Pluak Daeng district, both in Rayong province, areas where the environment is fully protected.

NHC has also asked the Interior Ministry to issue another regulation to control the construction of buildings, so no additional industrial structures are allowed.

This announcement will help local authorities improve its regulation to control the environment and maintain conditions that do not adversely affect the health of local people, Amphon said.

Paranee Sawasdirak, a cityplanning expert, said she had conducted a study about the environmental problems in Map Ta Phut over three months and discovered that this and the nearby Pluak Daeng district badly needed environmental protection and strict controls on industrial activities.

"Even though these areas had been named a pollutioncontrol zone and an action plan to reduce and eradicate pollution had been implemented, local residents have still been suffering from environmental and health crises," she said.

Paranee, who also chairs a working group that makes proposals for the environmental protection in Map Ta Phut and nearby areas, said volatile organic compounds like mercury, zinc and arsenic were still contaminating the areas.

"A lot of chemical accidents and leakage have taken place since the government named this a pollutioncontrol area," she said, adding that the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning should speed up the process of issuing regulations and guidelines for land use in this area.

[Yenoormit]

Yeah and why not just shut the rice farming industry and every other way of the Thai economies growth down? It would be cheaper to declare it an "Industrial Zone" and for the Government to pay for anyone who wants to move away from Mapthaput to a safer area to cover their moving/relocation costs and anyone who wants to stay stays on their own accord. The Thai economy is suffering enough and needs these industries to move forward.

By putting up walls in these industrial areas it only takes good paying jobs away from Thai's. Just like in western countries, people do not have to live close to the industries bit can still work there by commuting back and forth every day and the Government or big companies like PTTP, Shell etc could provide a hissing system for people who want to live in let's say Rayong or Pattaya but still work in Mapthaput. If workers or vendors chose to stay and live in Mapthaput it would be their decision.

I do agree that large Oil Refineries etc should be made to implement HSE regulations etc and like the same comps IRS do in Western countries get their plants running at 99.9% efficiency as safety and environmental control is just a tax write off for them anyways.

[SICHONSTEVE]

I suppose that this ramps up the pressure to industrialise the Southern Seaboard Area where I live. There have been all sorts of rumours as to what they want to put here from Steel and oil industries to dams and deep sea ports and coal fired power stations. The banners are draped over the road bridges and little green flags fly from outside the houses of Tha Sala, tied to telegraph poles and decrying the fact that they are all unwelcome and reminding people in the area of just what has happened at Map Ta Phut.

As the government is intent on developing the industrial capacity of the country and Map Ta Phut is all full up then we have a major battle on our hands in potentially affected areas such as my home town of Sichon, Tha Sala, Khanom and other towns in Nakhonsithammarat and Surat Thani as well as in some areas further south that lie along the coast, ripe for the taking.

Chevron have already built a heli-port at NST airport and japanese and Thai car sales companies and the like are flocking here in their droves to Sichon (just as if our town is about to undergo a dramatic transformation turning it into an industrial haven). Green peace have done the rounds in Tha Sala but demonstrations and the like have been powerless to stop this kind of development in the past (when the government is determined to see it through) and I fear that we are headed to being a Southern version of the Eastern seaboard that is Map Ta Put with the pollution and devastation of the land that accompanies these major, major projects where peoples lives and livelihoods matter not a jot as long as they get their way and land to build on!!!

Edited April 23, 2011 by SICHONSTEVE

[phiphidon]

I suppose that this ramps up the pressure to industrialise the Southern Seaboard Area where I live. There have been all sorts of rumours as to what they want to put here from Steel and oil industries to dams and deep sea ports and coal fired power stations. The banners are draped over the road bridges and little green flags fly from outside the houses of Tha Sala, tied to telegraph poles and decrying the fact that they are all unwelcome and reminding people in the area of just what has happened at Map Ta Phut.

As the government is intent on developing the industrial capacity of the country and Map Ta Phut is all full up then we have a major battle on our hands in potentially affected areas such as my home town of Sichon, Tha Sala, Khanom and other towns in Nakhonsithammarat and Surat Thani as well as in some areas further south that lie along the coast, ripe for the taking.

Chevron have already built a heli-port at NST airport and japanese and Thai car sales companies and the like are flocking here in their droves to Sichon (just as if our town is about to undergo a dramatic transformation turning it into an industrial haven). Green peace have done the rounds in Tha Sala but demonstrations and the like have been powerless to stop this kind of development in the past (when the government is determined to see it through) and I fear that we are headed to being a Southern version of the Eastern seaboard that is Map Ta Put with the pollution and devastation of the land that accompanies these major, major projects where peoples lives and livelihoods matter not a jot as long as they get their way and land to build on!!!

So there is a downside to the Democrats? But don't worry, Khun Mark has signed an agreement with the Burmese Junta so that he can move all that nasty industrialisation and its attendant pollution to Burma, where incidentally there is not so much "concern" over the enviroment and its effect on the local people. He really is the oxford educated, caring individual, as we have heard so many times. NIMBY.