Uttaradit: More than 1,000 villagers have signed a petition against a plan to build a controversial biomass-fired power plant which does not require any public hearings.
They lodged their complaint with the Prime Minister's Office and the National Legislative Assembly in the hope authorities will stop a project they claimed will become a "new source of dust" in tambon Wang Daeng in Phichai district.
Wang Hin village head, Dechachai Panya, said yesterday his group needs to bring the issue before the prime minister and legislators because business people behind the plan may be trying to use a legal loophole to push their project forward.
Giving the green light to the power plant needs no public consultation first, he said.
Though the Energy Regulatory Office in Phitsanulok has not yet approved it, mainly due to local opposition, villagers have to closely monitor the business group and the provincial officials because they "don't trust either", Mr Dechachai said.
They fear the businessmen will take advantage of the law that allows the project to go ahead without the need to listen to villagers' opinions, he said.
The villagers will not let that happen, Mr Dechachai said.
Though the use of biomass -- organic material from plants or animals used as a fuel to produce electricity -- is a type renewable energy, the power plant is still believed to be environmental unfriendly, according to the protesters.
They said rice paddies nearby will be seriously impacted with dust from the plant falling on crop leaves, blocking photosynthesis.
This will lead to a fall in crop yields and less earnings for farmers.
Other environmental concerns include noise and wastewater.
Uttaradit governor Sathianphong Maksiri needs to "call a meeting of the committee examining the project and resolve to the scrap it", Mr Dechachai said.