Thai court to rule on Apico gas plant

[webfact]

ENVIRONMENT
Court to rule on Apico gas plant today
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation



Khon Kaen folk claim gas burning making them sick

KHON KAEN: -- KHON KAEN Administrative Court will today rule on whether or not to suspend the second round of gas burning at the Apico gas field in Kranuan district. The petition claimed that residents of Tambon Dunsad have been suffering from toxic gas since the second round of burning began last Friday.

Apico (Khorat) has embarked on its second round of 24-hour gas burning at its petroleum exploration site Dongmun pit. The company informed locals this round would last 15 days and would cease operations on October 23.

On Tuesday, Ban Namun Dunsad Environment Protection Group asked the court to halt Apico's operation in the area and set up measures to ensure the environmental and healthcare safety of the people.

Prakorn Srakaengtum, who lives 1.7 kilometres from the site at Ban Namun in Tambon Dunsad, claimed that some days after the operation began, many people living nearby began complaining of illness.

He said many people in the village started to get sick when the petroleum exploration site began the gas burning.

"Two elderly villagers were hospitalised due to heart problems, while many people - including me - often feel dizzy and get headaches when the wind carries the gas from the burning site to the village. Many villagers also have rashes after direct exposure to the gas when outside," Prakorn said.

He claimed that this was not the first time people around the petroleum exploration site became sick. Many people suffered from the same illnesses during the first round of gas burning in June.

Maha Sarakham University lecturer Chainarong Sretthachau said the gas detectors in the village had found the level of methane in the air was unusually high and the oxygen level was lower than normal.

Chainarong explained that methane was one of the NGV gases lighter than air. It can reduce oxygen in the air and cause the people to feel tired, dizzy, with headaches, seizures, high blood pressure and arrhythmia.

"The people did not know that Apico would start this round of gas burning until September. They said they would stop the operation after the first round of gas burning had finished. They did not inform [local people of] anything. Furthermore, the authorities also supported them in every aspect," he said.

"The company is not adhering to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report anymore. This round of gas burning is also violating the EIA, as it was not indicated in the report," he added.

In an effort to protect the environment and local health, Ban Namun Dunsad Environment Protection Group submitted a plea to stop Apico's petroleum exploration to the United States Embassy on Tuesday and to the Energy Ministry on Monday.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Court-to-rule-on-Apico-gas-plant-today-30270920.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-15

[eliotness]

It sounds as though 1. The "burning" isn't working if methane is escaping into the surrounding air, and 2. It appears there is no scrubbing of the exhaust gases. So very 3rd world and not the green policy drive the PM appeared to expound. As for not following the EIA, simple, slap a restraining order on them. Ah ! but this is Thailand ?

[eliotness]

I bet a certain person is already packing his bags to head off to the court to launch an anti-greenhouse gas emissions protest. Global warming will increase x fold if these people continue their heinous crime against humanity. After all 99.99% of peer reviewed scientists say it will !!!

[Srikcir]

Apico should be monitoring its gas burn operations constantly to ensure the environmental and healthcare safety of the people. It appears that hasn't been the case and that the September gas burn was not mentioned in the EIA. The court has basis to shutdown the burn until monitoring equipment is in place and inspected by unrelated third parties.

On the other hand I'm surprised that Apico has sued villagers for defamation. They have not presented any scientific proof of air contamination. Methane is odorless so would require detection equipment. In lieu of Apico immediately placing monitoring equipment, the Thai government should do so.

[farmerjo]

All to do with the scrubbers if there's a problem.

[h90]

It sounds as though 1. The "burning" isn't working if methane is escaping into the surrounding air, and 2. It appears there is no scrubbing of the exhaust gases. So very 3rd world and not the green policy drive the PM appeared to expound. As for not following the EIA, simple, slap a restraining order on them. Ah ! but this is Thailand ?

"Maha Sarakham University lecturer Chainarong Sretthachau said the gas detectors in the village had found the level of methane in the air was unusually high and the oxygen level was lower than normal."

What is really going on there? What amounts of methane are needed to have lower O2 levels? That would be explosive. Some information is missing or wrong.

[Thai at Heart]

It sounds as though 1. The "burning" isn't working if methane is escaping into the surrounding air, and 2. It appears there is no scrubbing of the exhaust gases. So very 3rd world and not the green policy drive the PM appeared to expound. As for not following the EIA, simple, slap a restraining order on them. Ah ! but this is Thailand

"Maha Sarakham University lecturer Chainarong Sretthachau said the gas detectors in the village had found the level of methane in the air was unusually high and the oxygen level was lower than normal."

What is really going on there? What amounts of methane are needed to have lower O2 levels? That would be explosive. Some information is missing or wrong.

1km a way they have higher methane but lower oxygen, whilst it is being burnt?

Does this village have a big glass dome above it? I would suggest this is chemically impossible and if it were true, all the workers on the rig would have asphyxiated by now.

[plachon]

Amazing - a whole article on this environmental air pollution and no mention of the underlying technology causing it. In other words, the "F" word. Or at least, I assume it is fracking going on here, but not sure why it is considered politically incorrect to mention it? Fear of causing a larger societal backlash to this environmentally dangerous and experimental technology under the military regime, or just plain ignorance on the part of the journos? Fracking in Isaan was covered by a well-made documentary by Thai PBS recently, so what's up with The Nation at the moment?

[eliotness]

Amazing - a whole article on this environmental air pollution and no mention of the underlying technology causing it. In other words, the "F" word. Or at least, I assume it is fracking going on here, but not sure why it is considered politically incorrect to mention it? Fear of causing a larger societal backlash to this environmentally dangerous and experimental technology under the military regime, or just plain ignorance on the part of the journos? Fracking in Isaan was covered by a well-made documentary by Thai PBS recently, so what's up with The Nation at the moment?[/quotle]

Fracking in a country that relies so much on groundwater extraction is a very risky undertaking and needs to be strongly regulated and monitored, something that I would suggest is not happening in Thailand. I admit to being biased because I rely on a borehole for my water and events in the USA show problems do occur (even with the USEPA looking to regulate the industry).