Court orders Egat to clean up Mae Moh

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) should pay compensation to local people suffering from air pollution from the Mae Moh coal-fired power plant in Lampang province, said a Supreme Administrative court judge.

The Egat should also come up with plans to rehabilitate the environment in areas affected by the power plant, Judge Sumeth Deuisres who is in charge of the Mae Moh pollution case, said yesterday. He was giving his opinion at the end of the case’s hearing, which was filed by a group of Mae Moh villagers affected by pollution from the power plant.

The judge said studies confirmed the plant polluted the area, so the operator should be responsible and must compensate those affected. 

He said the Egat had failed to curb sulphur dioxide emissions as reports showed only two of eight sulphur dioxide filters at the power plant were working in 2008, resulting in excessive amounts of the toxic substance being released into the air and affecting peoples’ health. 

The judge said the Egat should compensate all 28 plaintiffs with payments ranging from 10,000 baht to 330,000 baht, depending on impact severity.