Sutha Hemsakul, head of the Payoon community near Rayong's Map Ta Phut industrial estate, is feeling a bit relieved as well as more confident in the safety standards and environmental protection measures of area factories.
He has been invited to observe local production processes and safety and prevention measures firsthand periodically throughout this year accompanied by other community representatives.
The Map Ta Phut industrial estate fell under a heavy attack from 2006-09 from non-governmental organisations and environmentalists alleging volatile organic compound emissions were pushing air pollution to unacceptable levels.The dispute reached a climax in September 2009, when the Central Administrative Court issued an injunction suspending 76 projects until they met the requirements in Section 67 of the 2007 Constitution, which stipulated industrial projects had to undergo environmental and health impact assessments (EHIAs).
After several attempts by operators and Industry Ministry officials to seek court permission for the suspended projects to restart construction, almost all of them have been allowed to continue.Only two - one belonging to PTT and the other to the Siam Cement Group (SCG) - are still pending EHIAs.
Leading industrial giants including PTT, Dow Chemical Thailand, BLCP Power, the Glow Group and SCG formed a new alliance in Map Ta Phut in June 2010. The Community Partnership Initiative (CPI) is a far-reaching programme aimed at improving relations with communities and securing the success of future investment.Called Pheuan Chumchon (Friends of the Community) in Thai, the programme focuses on improvements in the areas of safety, health and the environment to achieve higher standards than those required by law.
It also provides a vital link between the industrial sector and local communities for sharing knowledge, addressing critical issues and responding to community needs.
Veerasak Kositpaisal, the CPI's chairman as well as chief executive of PTT Chemicals, said that over the past year industry has grown more aware that the surrounding communities need more than just donations.
The CPI has called for mobile medical services and better understanding of the manufacturing process and safety standards of local plants in the short term.In the long term, it will provide educational support and scholarships to community children.
There is also an ambitious plan to develop Map Ta Phut into an "eco-industrial town", with 270 rai reserved for green areas including the planting of 100,000 trees."Over the previous year, 58 industrial plants have joined the scheme out of 140 in Map Ta Phut and Ban Chang. In the long term, we hope to persuade almost everyone to participate, as we want to develop the project in a sustainable manner," said Mr Veerasak.
Monta Pranootnarapal, governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, said the government has expressed support for the eco-industrial town plan and already approved 478 million baht in funding for the four-year project that began this year.
"This initiative will set a good example for sustainable industrial development, as Map Ta Phut is one of the world's leading petroleum and petrochemical estates," said Kan Trakulhoon, SCG's president and chief executive.
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