11 types of industry must do health impact assessments
After a month-long delay and disputes among members of a committee sorting through environmental issues at Map Ta Phut industrial estate in Rayong, the National Environment Board yesterday issued a list of 11 types of industry required to undergo the Constitution-mandated health impact assessments (HIA).
Once endorsed by a future Cabinet meeting, the list will become an executive decree that is part of the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry's regulations. Although, a ministry source said the issue may not be submitted in time for today's Cabinet's meeting.
Industry Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat, a member of the four-sector panel, said a meeting of business operators whose projects were put on hold by a Central Administrative Court order would be called tomorrow to discuss the list and prepare details for a court session scheduled on Thursday.
The court session has been set in advance to hear an appeal from business operators, who have asked that legal deadlocks prohibiting their projects be lifted. The four-part committee should have worked out the list two weeks ago but failed to meet the deadline because of differing opinions among its members over types of industries that should have an HIA.
Some 76 projects at Map Ta Phut estate have held up by the court-ordered ban since late last year, because they failed to carry out HIAs or environmental impact assessments (EIAs), as required under Article 67 (2) of the 2007 Constitution. The delay has hurt investor confidence and and made life tough for the firms affected.
Chaiwuti welcomed the list, saying it would send a clear message to investors over what projects have to undergo an EIA or HIA. And Federation of Thai Industries chairman Phayungsak Chartsutthiphol also said the list was "a good signal" to investors.
Siam Cement Group finance chief Roongrote Rangsiyopash said the announcement would give clarity to private companies plotting business plans, which will drive the economy. In regard to SCG projects at Map Ta Phut that remain suspended, he said it was up to the court what should be done next.
Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House after the list was announced. He reportedly welcomed completion of the list, while Abhisit also gave an assurance there was now "a clear way out" of the legal deadlock.
Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul said a PTT gas processing plant could go head as it was not on the list of industries that require a health impact assessment, while other projects had already done HIAs. When operational, the gas plant could produce 100,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas a month.
Projects requiring Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
1. Offshore or coastal landfill of areas larger than 300 rai
2. All types and sizes of mine operations
3. Industrial estate and annexed or extended areas
4. Headstream or middlestream petrochemical productions, of all sizes, or extended size of at least 35 per cent of output
5. Steel or ore mills, with minimum daily output of 5,000 tonnes
6. Production, modification or disposal of radioactive material in operations of hospital, veterinarian clinics, or research
7. Disposal facilities or crematoriums of waste harmful to human health
8. Airports with runways of 3,000 metres' minimum length
9. Piers and ports, except small-scale used by locals
10. Dams or reservoirs with minimum capacity of 100-million cubic metres and water surfaces of 15 kms
11. Power plants, except those fuelled by natural gas or combined cycle power plants that increase output to 3,000 megawatts
Projects de-listed from HIA requirement
1. Irrigation projects
2. Natural saline suction projects
Projects de-listed but require Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)
1. Cremation of biologically-infected waste
2. Water transfer operations over major rivers and international operations
3. Watergate operations
Projects put on consideration for EIA
1. General operations located near World Heritage or historical sites, wildlife reserves
2. Construction or renovation of permanent installations outside seawalls or anti-erosion dykes, in areas reserved for environmental protection or tourism