List of harmful industries due next week

Bangkok Post 28 August 2009

A list of harmful industries will take effect next week as authorities hope to allay investors' concerns about requirements for environmental and health impact assessments, Industry Minister Chanchai Chairungruang said yesterday.

He said that while guidelines on environmental and health assessments for harmful projects were not yet finalised, those not on the list could follow existing environmental impact assessment procedures and proceed their projects.

"Once we put it up as ministerial announcement, we want investment to resume as fast as possible," he said.

Eight industries will likely be listed as harmful and will need extra environmental and community scrutiny.

The list includes all underground mining, all sizes of tin and manganese mines, steel smelting plants with at least 5,000 tonnes of daily capacity, and petrochemical plants with 1,000 tonnes of daily output.

The rules will also apply to industrial estates with steel or upstream or midstream petrochemical plants, all landfills or incinerators for hazardous waste, mineral smelting with chemicals, fossil-fuel power plants of 100 megawatts or more, natural gas or other energy sources of 500 MW and nuclear power plants.

Source: www.bangkokpost.com