On March 28, 2024, a private company organized a public hearing on the waste to energy power plant project of Chok Chai Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO), Chok Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. 400 residents including community leaders attended the meeting. An environmental consulting firm presented the potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures of the project. The meeting also served as a platform for exchanging information, expressing opinions, suggestions, and concerns, and receiving answers to questions.
The firm announced that the amount of waste generated in Chok Chai SAO, Kratoke SAO, and Chok Chai Subdistrict Municipality (SDM) is 40 tons per day. This waste has been dumped in an open dumping area of 27 rai (approximately 43,200 square meters) in Ban Pho Thong, Moo 12, Chok Chai Subdistrict for over 30 years, resulted in an accumulation of over 200,000 tons of improperly disposed waste, which has had a negative impact on the environment. Consequently, relevant authorities have ordered to use the waste as fuel for energy generation as a solution for the problem. A private company was selected as investor as well as manage the entire waste management.
Project, with estimated budget of 1,823 million baht, is located in Ban Sa Pratum Mai Phatthana, Moo 14, Chok Chai Subdistrict, approximately 1 kilometer from the Mun River. The project site will cover an area of 109 rai and 94 square wa (approximately 174,776 square meters). The project will incinerate 380 tons of waste per day from 34 local administrative organizations (LAOs) in Chok Chai, Nong Bun Mak, Khon Buri, Saeng Sang, and Wang Nam Khieo districts. The project will use a reverse moving grate incinerator. This technology has a waste incineration capacity of approximately 500 tons per day and can generate 9.90 megawatts of electricity. The project will also have a standard pollution control system to ensure that all emissions comply with environmental regulations for a period of 25 years.
However, during the public hearing, most of the participants expressed concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the project. They claimed that the previous public hearing process was unfair, as stakeholders were not properly informed. Additionally, a representative from the civil sector raised concerns about the transportation of waste in the area, which could damage road surfaces and cause environmental pollution.
The Member of the House of Representative for Nakhon Ratchasima 10 expressed concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the project, including air pollution from the incinerator and contamination of water sources. He urged the relevant agencies to carefully consider these issues.