Map Ta Phut activity could resume in 2 weeks | Bangkok Post: business

Industrial projects in Map Ta Phut that are clear of the list of harmful activities should be able to resume operations within two weeks, says Buddhipongse Punnakanta, an adviser to Industry Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat.

Following Thursday's Central Administrative Court ruling that allows 74 out of 76 suspended projects to proceed, state agencies will use the approved list of 11 harmful activities as a guideline to determine exactly which ones can resume, he said.The court said that only two ventures might be on the list of harmful activities that was approved recently by the Natural Resources andEnvironment Ministry."Projects that are clearly ruled out of the list should be able to go ahead in two weeks or even less," said Mr Buddhipongse. Buddhipongse: Legal appeal still possible Any projects that are on the list will have their operating permits revoked and must complete environmental and health impact assessments (EIAs and HIAs) to get new permits."These two projects have made some progress in conducting EIAs and HIAs, and they are in the process of submitting their reports to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP)," said Mr Buddhipongse."The total process should take no longer than four to six months."Korbsak Sabhavasu, the secretary-general to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, said agencies responsible for issuing permits, such as the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and the Industrial Works Department, should be the ones to decide which projects are harmful."If they are not sure, confirmation can be sought from the ONEP or the subcommittee under the National Environmental Board," Mr Korbsak said.The operators of all 76 projects will be invited to a meeting on Monday to discuss further procedures. Projects not on the harmful list should then submit letters to the authorities that issued the original operating permit.However, Mr Buddhipongse cautioned that there was a possibility of approved projects being halted again if local communities file an appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court...