More than 100 residents in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Thung Song district on Thursday opposed the proposed construction of a biomass power plant on a 40-rai plot in tambon Na Pho, citing concerns over environmental impacts.
Photo by Post Today
The residents made their position clear during a meeting chaired by Pakpoom Intarasuwan, Thung Song district chief, to settle the conflict between the locals and Chang Raek Bio Power Co Ltd which proposed the construction of the plant.
Chang Raek Co executives and a team of engineers clarified that they would use a highly-effective industrial dust collection system during the construction process which would not create pollution affecting people’s health and environment. They said they had chosen tambon Na Pho as a construction site because rubber plantations are abundant in the area, and that the plant uses roots from rubber tree as its main fuel.
This would reduce transportation costs and create jobs and revenues for local people as the company would need to spend 50 million baht each year to buy rubber trees from them.
The company’s representatives said the Na Pho Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) had unanimously approved the company’s request to build the plant in the tambon, but urged any residents who are affected by the project to feel free to file a complaint.
Members of Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial industry office confirmed they had properly followed legal procedures for the proposed plant by informing the Na Pho TAO and the communities as well as listening to people’s opinions and forwarding the proposal to the Department of Energy Bussiness for approval.
Pinij Choobuathong, president of the Na Pho TAO, insisted the approval process was transparent and checkable.
However, after the two-hour meeting, the opponents were firm in their stance, saying they were afraid their well-being and careers would be affected by the project.