Group seeks halt to 181 more industrial projects

The Stop Global Warming Association will file petitions to halt 181 investment projects around the country because it believes they will make a serious impact on the environment and should be required to follow the guidelines in Article 67 of the Constitution.

The move will call for injunctions halting work on the projects, following the precedent of the court's injunction issued on September 29 halting work on 76 projects in Map Ta Phut and nearby areas in Rayong province.

Article 67 of the Constitution requires the government and the business sector to obtain consensus from local communities before polluting industrial plants can be set up in their neighbourhoods.

"We merely intend to encourage the manufacturers to comply with the law.

"However, we'll submit the petitions project by project, which is expected to take around one year for all 181 projects," said association president Srisuwan Janya.

Of the 181 projects, 107 are categorised as mining and petroleum concessions, 44 as heavy industries, 17 as power plants and the remaining 13 as logistic and transportation developments.

Most of the targeted projects are planned by Thai-owned companies like the Siam Cement Group (SCG) and Sahaviriya, but some belong to leading multinational firms like Chevron, Salamander Energy and Furukawa Metal.

 Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Dusit Nontanakorn said the move would not concern investors as long as the government had a clear set of criteria to identify which projects should be stopped or pushed forward.

"We agree with the suspension of projects that are harmful to the environment and people's health, but it does not sound proper if well-managed projects are also suspended," he said.

SCG president and chief executive Kan Trakulhoon said the group agreed wholeheartedly with the public sector's idea of establishing an independent committee to find solutions for the investment deadlock that has halted 76 projects in Map Ta Phut and nearby areas.

The independent committee is about to elect representatives from four sectors: the government, the private sector, public-sector companies and lecturers."The case of Map Ta Phut has encouraged everyone to pay attention to the environment. I believe such cooperation from every party will not only enhance Thailand's environmental standards, but also promote sustainable industrial development in the long term," he said.