Monday, August 24, 2009

CHARNCHAI DEFERS DECREE ON POLLUTION

       The Industry Ministry yesterday postponed to the beginning of next month its decree for controlling industrial plants with serious environmental impacts.
       "I have not approved the ministerial decree because it still lacks necessary details such as the size of the plant," Industry Minister Charnchai Chairung-ruang said.
       "I have assigned agencies to find out more information on environmental rules in Canada and other countries like Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong," he said.
       Approval of the ministerial decree had been expected yesterday in order to clarify the eight industries that will be required to complete the new form of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the new health impact assessment (HIA), as stated in Article 67 of the Constitution.
       The eight types of projects listed in the ministerial decree are: underground mines; lead, zinc and manganese mines; upstream and mid-stream petrochemical plants; steel blast furnaces; industrial estates accommodating upstream-midstream petrochemical plants and steel blast furnaces; power plants; nuclear power plants; and hazardous waste-treatment facilities.
       However, industries that have an impact on the environment but are not listed in the ministerial decree will not be forced to pass the HIA, but only the EIA.

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