Secluded in the mountains of northern Thailand lies a massive lignite
coal-fired power plant equipped with 13 generating units with a total
capacity of 2,625 Megawatts. Mae Moh, Thailand's largest mine,
began operating on a small scale in the 1960s and was significantly
expanded in the 1980s. Every year approximately 1.6 million tons of
sulfur gas is released into the air from this power plant, resulting in
severe health problems for local people and irreversible damage to the
natural environment.
It has been estimated that the Mae Moh power plant has annually contributed approximately 4,033,932 tons of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere, making the biggest regional contributor to climate change.
Owned and operated by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the Mae Moh Power Plant is Southeast Asia's largest coal-fired power plant. The fuel of the power station is supplied by an open-pit lignite mine covering an area of 135 square kilometers, the largest of its kind in Thailand. The current production from the mine is 40,000 tons per day.
The mine and power plant has received financing from a diverse source of funders, including the Asian Development Bank. Over the last 20 years, the ADB has approved a series of loans totaling more than US$352 million.
Impacts of the project
Since the inception of the Mae Moh coal-fired power plant, more than 30,000 people have been displaced from their homes, thousands have experienced severe respiratory problems and four law suits have been filed against the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). More than 600 villagers continue to suffer from acute respiratory problems caused by the inhalation and exposure to sulfur dioxide emitted from the mine. Coal dust consisting of toxic chemicals has been carried by winds into rivers, reservoirs and nearby communities in the Mae Moh valley, including the reservoir that supplies drinking water for the local people.
The lignite burnt at Mae Moh continues to release massive amounts of sulfur gas which has blackened streams, burnt rice fields and resulted in severe health problems for local communities.
On 3 October 1992, EGAT switched on all 11 units at Mae Moh (units 12 and 13 commenced operations in 1995) and within days more than a thousand village people residing within seven kilometers of the plant fell ill with breathing difficulties, nausea, dizziness and inflammation of eyes and nasal cavities caused by the inhalation of the sulphur dioxide gas. Within two months more than 50 per cent of the rice fields near the plant were damaged by acid rain and at least 42,000 local people were found to be suffering from breathing ailments. Yet at the peak of the crisis, EGAT insisted that, "The [Mae Moh] emissions are lower than the standard set by the National Environment Board (NEB) . . . the emissions are safe for human beings and the environment."
Pollution problems recurred in April and May 1996 when six village people in the Mae Moh valley died of blood poisoning. Severe air pollution in mid-1999 left hundreds sick and in December 1999 more than 600 local people suffered respiratory problems caused by sulfur dioxide emissions.
Study conducted by Greenpeace Research Laboratories in 2002, showed how the Mae Moh Power Plant produces 4,380,000 tons of fly ash along with 39 tons of the neurotoxin mercury annually. Fly ash sample contained arsenic and mercury at concentrations above concentrations typically found in uncontaminated soils by three and fourteen times respectively.
The presence of mercury at these concentrations is of particular concern. The substance is extremely toxic. Inorganic mercury, as present in the fly ashes, can be converted into organic forms, including methylmercury, by microorganism indigenous to soils and fresh water and marine sediments. Methylmercury is more toxic to both humans and animals. It is quick to enter the food chain and is thus one of the most important sources of exposure to the neurotoxin.
Despite the impacts of the Mae Moh mine and power plant project, the ADB has not accepted responsibility or recognized that the project has been an environmental disaster.
Justice for Mae Moh people
As a result of the pollution from the power plant, villagers have come together to form the Network of Occupational Health Sufferers of Thailand, which is dedicated to organizing those who have been adversely affected by the mine. The Network is an inspiration, exemplifying how the power of law and the power of people are defending human rights and the environment.
In 1998 the first lawsuit against a government entity over hardship caused by a major infrastructure project was launched by victims from the Mae Moh district. An occupational health doctor has confirmed that the villagers' respiratory problems developed from inhaling hazardous gas emissions from the nearby mine. Three additional lawsuits have been filed by the same affected communities claiming damage for health deterioration, physical and mental grievances, compensation for medical expenses, and for damage to farmers' crops and useable land.
In May 2004, the Thai Provincial court awarded 5.7 million Baht (US$142,500) to the villagers for crop damage caused by the power plant - a small victory considering the scores of people, many of whom are unable to afford medical treatment, who continue to suffer from serious respiratory complications. Today, nearly 300 people have lost their lives as a result of ingesting deadly substances from the power plant.
Download the full report, "All Emission, No Solution"
It has been estimated that the Mae Moh power plant has annually contributed approximately 4,033,932 tons of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere, making the biggest regional contributor to climate change.
Owned and operated by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the Mae Moh Power Plant is Southeast Asia's largest coal-fired power plant. The fuel of the power station is supplied by an open-pit lignite mine covering an area of 135 square kilometers, the largest of its kind in Thailand. The current production from the mine is 40,000 tons per day.
The mine and power plant has received financing from a diverse source of funders, including the Asian Development Bank. Over the last 20 years, the ADB has approved a series of loans totaling more than US$352 million.
Impacts of the project
Since the inception of the Mae Moh coal-fired power plant, more than 30,000 people have been displaced from their homes, thousands have experienced severe respiratory problems and four law suits have been filed against the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). More than 600 villagers continue to suffer from acute respiratory problems caused by the inhalation and exposure to sulfur dioxide emitted from the mine. Coal dust consisting of toxic chemicals has been carried by winds into rivers, reservoirs and nearby communities in the Mae Moh valley, including the reservoir that supplies drinking water for the local people.
The lignite burnt at Mae Moh continues to release massive amounts of sulfur gas which has blackened streams, burnt rice fields and resulted in severe health problems for local communities.
On 3 October 1992, EGAT switched on all 11 units at Mae Moh (units 12 and 13 commenced operations in 1995) and within days more than a thousand village people residing within seven kilometers of the plant fell ill with breathing difficulties, nausea, dizziness and inflammation of eyes and nasal cavities caused by the inhalation of the sulphur dioxide gas. Within two months more than 50 per cent of the rice fields near the plant were damaged by acid rain and at least 42,000 local people were found to be suffering from breathing ailments. Yet at the peak of the crisis, EGAT insisted that, "The [Mae Moh] emissions are lower than the standard set by the National Environment Board (NEB) . . . the emissions are safe for human beings and the environment."
Pollution problems recurred in April and May 1996 when six village people in the Mae Moh valley died of blood poisoning. Severe air pollution in mid-1999 left hundreds sick and in December 1999 more than 600 local people suffered respiratory problems caused by sulfur dioxide emissions.
Study conducted by Greenpeace Research Laboratories in 2002, showed how the Mae Moh Power Plant produces 4,380,000 tons of fly ash along with 39 tons of the neurotoxin mercury annually. Fly ash sample contained arsenic and mercury at concentrations above concentrations typically found in uncontaminated soils by three and fourteen times respectively.
The presence of mercury at these concentrations is of particular concern. The substance is extremely toxic. Inorganic mercury, as present in the fly ashes, can be converted into organic forms, including methylmercury, by microorganism indigenous to soils and fresh water and marine sediments. Methylmercury is more toxic to both humans and animals. It is quick to enter the food chain and is thus one of the most important sources of exposure to the neurotoxin.
Despite the impacts of the Mae Moh mine and power plant project, the ADB has not accepted responsibility or recognized that the project has been an environmental disaster.
Justice for Mae Moh people
As a result of the pollution from the power plant, villagers have come together to form the Network of Occupational Health Sufferers of Thailand, which is dedicated to organizing those who have been adversely affected by the mine. The Network is an inspiration, exemplifying how the power of law and the power of people are defending human rights and the environment.
In 1998 the first lawsuit against a government entity over hardship caused by a major infrastructure project was launched by victims from the Mae Moh district. An occupational health doctor has confirmed that the villagers' respiratory problems developed from inhaling hazardous gas emissions from the nearby mine. Three additional lawsuits have been filed by the same affected communities claiming damage for health deterioration, physical and mental grievances, compensation for medical expenses, and for damage to farmers' crops and useable land.
In May 2004, the Thai Provincial court awarded 5.7 million Baht (US$142,500) to the villagers for crop damage caused by the power plant - a small victory considering the scores of people, many of whom are unable to afford medical treatment, who continue to suffer from serious respiratory complications. Today, nearly 300 people have lost their lives as a result of ingesting deadly substances from the power plant.
Download the full report, "All Emission, No Solution"
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