Krabi villagers to resist land survey for EGAT's pier project



BANGKOK: -- The plan by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to conduct a feasibility survey of land in NuaKlong district ocfKrabi is likely to encounter stiff resistance from the local people.

Villagers of Ban Laem Hin, Tambon Talingchan, have made clear of their opposition to the EGAT’s plan to build a pier to offload coal from vessels to feed a planned coal-fired power plant, also in Krabi for fear of possible impacts on the environment and their health.

Preparations are under way to obstruct the land survey by EGAT officials, according to the villagers.

Although three public hearings have been held so far on the pier project, the villagers remain skeptical and concerned with the environmental impacts which may threaten their livelihood and their health condition.

They cited the lesson from bunker oil spills from vessels docked in the province which jeopardized fishing stock in the sea.

The villagers also accused EGAT of preventing from participating in the EIA study of the project.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/krabi-villagers-resist-land-survey-egats-pier-project/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-21

Kudos to them for their resistance. May we do the same, in our own localities-- weaning ourselves off fossil fuels whenever we can, and reducing our electricity use, much of which is unnecessary. Yes, electrical power is a fact of modern life, but modern industrial societies overdo it. Look at one of those nighttime pictures of the globe...

And EGAT has a history of expanding production whether or not it is needed.