Academics argue for reform of EIA process for Krabi coal-fired power plant
Academics have urged that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the proposed Krabi coal-fired power plant be reformed at a forum on improving the EIA and the introduction of Strategic Environment Assessments (SEAs) on Thursday at Chulalongkorn University.
Prasitchai Nu-nuan, an activist who opposes the plant, said that in order to resolve the conflict over the coal-fired power plant project, the entire EIA and Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) study process should be improved.
"I suggest that the EIA and EHIA study processes must be reformed by dismantling the employer-employee relationship of the project owner and the study team, as earlier we found that the EIA/EHIA usually was very poorly done and the study team did everything to make the report pass consideration," Prasitchai said.
Supakit Nantaworakan from the Healthy Public Policy Foundation suggested that SEAs could be a new tool to plan proper development in the future, which would help policy planners to work and discuss options for development with all stakeholders.