Saraburi: The Administrative Court is being asked to revoke TPI Polene Power Plc's licence to run its coal-fired power plant in Muak Lek district amid worries over its impact on villagers' health and the local economy.
More than 200 villagers yesterday lodged a petition with the court, claiming the company failed to conduct a complete Environmental Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) report to deal with possible air and water pollution.
A requirement in preparing an EHIA is detailing potential risks a development project may pose to the environment, "but the company's report does not clearly state what impacts the plant may have on people", villagers' representative Phruek Koetchuchuen said yesterday.
He accused TPI of not carefully checking whether organic dairy farmers who work near the plant are at risk.
Mr Phruek said there are fears emissions from the 150-megawatt plant, which opened earlier this year, and wastewater will seriously affect the quality of their milk products.
"That could lead to the collapse of their livelihood," he said.
The petitioners also argue the same EHIA report also fails to study the possible impacts on elderly people and those with physical disabilities.
Despite their vulnerability, these groups were not invited to contribute in drafting the EHIA, Mr Phruek claimed.
The villagers want the court to order the company to halt plant operations, revoke approval of the "illegal" EHIA as well as the licence granted by the Energy Regulatory Commission to run the power plant.
"Because this EHIA report is unlawful, the commission issued an unlawful licence," Mr Phruek said.
TPI executives could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The company operates refuse derived fuel fired, waste-to-energy, and waste-heat recovery power plants and sells its electricity to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, as well supplies power to cement production plants.
Seven power plants that the company operates are located in Saraburi province.