By The Nation
Published on March 6, 2009

Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti yesterday insisted that declaring Map Ta Phut a pollutioncontrol zone would not scare off industrial investment.  “Personally, I think it would not affect investment though the move may lead to worries. These problems have been acknowledged and are being worked on,” Suwit said.

Whether the third phase of the petrochemical expansion plan could proceed depends on the area’s holding capacity for toxic emissions, he said.

The National Environment Board would on March 16 consider the court’s ruling and the facts, before deciding if it is necessary to appeal, he said.

Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul said his ministry will soon hold a meeting of agencies to consider the repercussions of the Map Ta Phut case on the planned third phase.

Nisakorn Kositratna, secretarygeneral of the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, said the ruling would not affect the review of environmental impact assessments especially for the third phase.

Residents living near the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong urged the removal of the chief of the Pollution Control Department. They also vowed to travel on foot to Bangkok to present Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Tuesday’s court ruling that designated the heavily industrialised area as a pollutioncontrol zone.

Sutthi Atchasai, a coordinator for the villagers, told a press conference that they disagreed with PCD chief Suphat Wangwongwatthana’s comment that it was a civil service procedure to appeal the verdict because failing to do so could cause damage to the country.

The villagers viewed the pollutioncontrol zone designation, like it was applied in Pattaya and Phuket, would not hurt the country but help promote the decentralisation of power to local authorities and boost community participation in tackling the problems, he said.

The villagers would submit a formal request on Monday to Suwit to dismiss Suphat or subject him to a disciplinary probe because he acted more like pollution protector, he said.

On that same day, they would lay a wreath in front of the Federation of Thai Industries’ head office to protest the industrial group’s comment that the ruling was detrimental to investment.

Suphat said the villagers might have misunderstood his comment that according to civil service procedures an appeal must be filed within the 30 days allowed.

He said he hadn’t decided anything on the Map Ta Phut case yet as it was up to the National Environmental Board.

He said he was not worried about the villagers’ request to oust him because he was just doing his job.