Projects

How much will the project cost?

1. The project will cost approximately US$755 million. The financing will come from three sources: Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide US$230 million, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will provide a fixed amount of Baht 1,750 million equivalent and the Government of Thailand will provide the balance.

When will the project begin operating?

2. The treatment plant is expected to begin partial operation in February 2002.

Is it true that an environmental impact assessment was not done before project approval?

3. As a project designed to improve the overall environment, an initial environmental examination (IEE) was required by Government and ADB guidelines before the project was approved by ADB. The IEE covered all options and a preliminary environmental impact assessment (EIA) was carried out for the preferred scheme. Comprehensive EIAs began with the development of detailed designs for the collection system, river crossing, canal diversion at the treatment plant site, treatment plant, and marine outfall. Since October 1998, the Thai Government's Pollution Control Department has initiated an environmental monitoring program, which includes marine and coastal ecological studies and water quality studies of the Gulf of Thailand. In accordance with its overall project implementation plan, the Pollution Control Department has commissioned an effluent reuse study and will soon begin a sludge management master plan study.

Were ADB guidelines followed in preparing an EIA for the Project?

4. Yes, ADB guidelines have been followed. In 1994/95, a team of international and domestic consultants financed under Bank technical assistance (TA), undertook a feasibility study and project design for Wastewater Management and Pollution Control in Samut Prakarn.

5. An environmental examination (IEE) was conducted. The IEE serves to (i) estimate the probable negative environmental impacts for ranking purposes; (ii) determine whether a more detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) is necessary for the option selected; and (iii) if so, define the scope of the EIA. The IEE concluded that no significant adverse impacts would occur. It recommended an EIA be carried out once detailed designs were substantially complete. The EIA is now nearing completion. When finalized it will be made available to the public.

Will environmental impacts affect the livelihoods of the Klong Daan residents?

6. We take the long-term view that there will be substantial long-term benefits for Samut Prakarn, including Klong Daan. These benefits include improved health, improved fishing, mussel farming and agriculture. The overall environmental condition of the coastal waters in the Samut Prakarn area will improve, by way of reduced levels of toxicity and heavy metals being discharged into the coastal environment. This has been the experience in other parts of the world through environmental clean-up projects, for example, Port Philip Bay in Australia

7. It is true that there will be some minor adverse impacts on a small number of people. Those Klong Daan residents, for example, who live outside the urban area will only benefit in the medium to long term from the improvements to the quality of the coastal waters. We recognize that the buffer zone which will be established at the outfall (point of discharge) will adversely affect the community, but every effort is being made to minimize the negative impact. In fact, the actual size of the buffer zone is now being finalized by the Thai Pollution Control Department, in conjunction with the Fisheries Department.

Was the site for the treatment plant changed?

8. No. The location of the treatment plant was not fixed before the turnkey contractor was instructed to identify and procure land for the project. It was the responsibility of the turnkey contractor to locate and procure the land, before handing it over to the Government. At one point, the possibility of two plants - one in Bang Pla Kod district (west bank) and the other in Bang Poo Mai district (east bank) - was considered. However, this would have been more costly and it was decided to build one plant on the east bank in Klong Daan district.

Were there irregularities in land acquisition?

9. To our knowledge, all government procedures were followed. The turnkey contractor was instructed to acquire land and turn it over to the government. This was done according to government procedures.

Was there enough consultation with affected residents during the early stages of the project?

10. We now feel more could have been done to consult with affected residents. Steps are now being taken to address this. Originally, provision had been made in the turnkey contract for community liaison, and work had been carried out in this area. However, it is clear that this has not been effective. In this respect, the Thai Pollution Control Department is negotiating with the turnkey contractor how to improve community liaison. Of more importance however, is the new community awareness/participation component that PCD will commence shortly. This is designed to open and maintain effective communication channels with the community. It will be staffed by specialists in community development. At the request of the Klong Dan community, a Thai-based NGO group has started a process of bringing PCD and the community together to initiate a constructive dialogue. ADB will be represented as an observer.

What are civil society’s main concerns?

11. The main concerns of NGOs and the Klong Daan community focus on the alleged adverse impact of the project on the environment and livelihood of the people in the affected area (particularly on fishing and mussel farming); alleged lack of community consultation; and alleged irregularities in land acquisition.

Have any recent activities been undertaken?

12. The Government of Thailand, assisted by ADB, is actively addressing the concerns of the Klong Daan community through the following actions.

• A special review mission was undertaken 19-28 June 2000 to clarify issues surrounding the project and encourage dialogue between the community, NGO groups, and government officials. The mission’s findings are reported in an aide-mémoire (posted on the Samut Prakarn Project web site), which provides a complete list of consultations in Annex 3.
• PCD is establishing a web site in Thai.
• Consultations between the Klong Daan community and PCD are ongoing, facilitated by PCENR.
• The Fisheries Department is conducting a survey of mussel farming to determine the extent of all mussel farms in the area, with a draft report expected by the end of December.
• ADB is facilitating a dialogue on environmental and social issues between the Klong Daan community and the Thai Government. The effort is aimed at increasing awareness and establishing a framework for community consultation with the Klong Daan community. This will address issues of community perceptions of the project and the means of compensation for any demonstrable environmental or socioeconomic impact.
• ADB and the Government of Thailand have decided to commission an independent review of the project by international experts.

Is the design of the treatment process appropriate?

13. Yes. The design followed extensive discussions, including a number of expert panel reviews. The Project has been fine tuned as a result of these reviews, and independent experts confirm that the centralized approach and the technology being utilized is the most appropriate. One community concern is the possible generation of odor from the treatment system, potential odor problems have been minimized through design reconfiguration and minor modifications. A computer model to simulate odor dispersion has also been established to assist with optimizing the plant configuration and also to demonstrate the impacts of odors.

Will industries connect into the system?

14. Yes. We are working toward this through a cleaner production process in accordance with the standards set down and by supporting the Thai government with the enforcement of legislation to ensure that industries comply. According to surveys conducted by PCD, 75 percent of all factory treatment plants are more than seven years old. We feel that the incentive of cheaper treatment costs is likely to be an attractive option for factories when they assess upgrade options when their existing systems become obsolete.

Is the wastewater treatment plant designed to treat heavy metals and hazardous chemicals?

15. Yes. The treatment plant facilities are expected to remove between 70 and 90 per cent of heavy metals. This compares with similar plants in other parts of the world which remove up to 97 percent of trace metals. A study conducted on anaerobic ponds in Melbourne Australia, which has a treatment plant very similar to that of Samut Prakarn, found that removal rates of 47 to 92 percent of heavy metals, depending on the parameter, are achieved in such ponds. Based on a hazardous operations study of the collection and treatment system by PCD, measures will be put in place to intercept dangerous substances, such as combustibles, well before they have a chance to reach the biological process units.

16. According to one Australian study, 70 percent of the effluent chromium can be removed in the pretreatment pond. Taking a conservative estimate of 70 percent overall removal, this means that of the 47 kg that will enter the plant daily, 33 kg will be removed, thus discharging to the sea only about 15 kg per day. This is equivalent to a concentration of 0.032 mg/L at full plant commissioning flow, which is well below the allowable discharge limit of 1.0 mg/L under the current Thai standards.

Won't the project threaten the natural ecosystem, coastal fisheries and local economy in Klong Daan?

17. No. Quite the opposite. Overall, the Project will have a beneficial impact on the ecosystem of the province, particularly on the canals and the coastal waters of Samut Prakarn. However, it is recognized that in the vicinity of the outfall (point of discharge) there will be a mixing zone in which "freshwater" from the treatment plant will disperse and assimilate into the surrounding seawater. The mixing zone may not be suitable for mussel farming. An exclusion zone will be established therefore around the area of the outfall. Significant reduction in total pollutant and nutrient loads is expected in the northeast corner of the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Some 72,000 tons/year of pollutants will be removed from waters entering the sea, thus providing substantial ecosystem benefits due to regional improvements to marine water quality. High levels of mercury and copper are also being found in sediment off the Klong Daan coast, and the Government is studying how the project will improve the situation.

Why is the treatment plant so far from the collection area?

18. It was more cost effective to buy land outside built-up areas. Also, the large blocks of land required for the plant were not available elsewhere. The site is also close to water that is suitable for disposing of treated effluent.

What about the adverse impact on the mussel farmers of Klong Daan?

19.The freshwater outfall is in an area with mussel farms. As mussels cannot survive in freshwater, some farms will be affected. The project will provide a "buffer zone" in which freshwater from the treatment plant will be dispersed and assimilated by the surrounding seawater. Some farms in or near the zone will need to be moved, and compensation for their owners is being studied.

What about the impact on the village of Klong Daan?

20. The village will benefit from the general improvement in coastal water quality. Residents are concerned about the smell from the plant, but the Government and the contractor are studying measures to minimize this. Villagers also feel it is unfair to locate the plant in Klong Daan's "backyard." We understand the Government is considering ways of compensating the village, including providing a research center for mussel and fish farming. This will be worked out with local residents through an extensive community participation program.

Has the treatment plant displaced a mangrove forest?

21. No. Aerial photographs taken over the last 30 years show that shrimp farms displaced much of the mangrove swamp before the site was selected for the plant. Presently, mangroves cover 25 percent of the site and after the plant is completed, there are plans to expand the mangrove area to 40 percent.

What is your response to recent criticisms of the project by Greenpeace?

22. We appreciate Greenpeace's interest in the project and share their concerns about the environment. The project aims to improve the environment in one of Thailand's most polluted provinces and is designed to manage industrial, commercial and residential wastewater in a heavily populated area which poses a health hazard for up to a million people and pollutes large stretches of coastal area in the Gulf of Thailand.

For a more detailed response, please refer to our press statement. Click here.