Military rule won’t secure miners’ future
Thailand is blessed with mineral resources which have yet to be exploited to their full potential. In 2012, the mining industry brought in over 61.2 billion baht in revenue from more than 40 types of minerals, according to the Department of Primary Industries and Mines, under the Industry Ministry.
Despite the huge reserves of mineral resources, with some 900 tonnes of gold reserves, the mining industry has shrunk, from 677 mines in 2008 to 554 mines in 2012.
This stems largely from stringent environmental protection measures and due to strong resistance from local communities.
Mining operators have found it hard to obtain permits — that is, until the National Council for Peace and Order took power last year, when many of these restrictions appear to have eased for the sake of the economic benefits which mining brings.
In fact, we can say that the junta is so keen on mining that the industry now appears to be enjoying a renaissance.
Last week, the department granted concessions to a potash mining project in Chaiyaphum province, which had been stalled for decades because of local resistance.
More importantly, early this year, the junta-installed NLA gave the department’s revised Mineral Act the go-ahead.
The new version, which is now with the Council of State, and will soon take effect, enables local administrations and governors to approve small-scale mining concessions.
It also makes it possible for operators to mine in certain ecologically sensitive areas including protected forests. Such a move is a shot in the arm for the mining industry.
While the junta and the DPIM seem keen to do almost anything to increase mining activity, they have failed to do quite a few crucial things that can ensure its sustainability.
One thing the authorities could do is make it compulsory for mine operators to test soil conditions before mining activity starts. The tests will provide information about the toxicity level on site and in surrounding areas.
Such data will help mining companies safeguard against accusations from the community that their health, their river and farm produce have been ruined by mining activity. It also helps scientists to find out the real cause of toxicity and come up with a proper remedy.
When Arpa Wangkiet, a lecturer on environmental engineering from Rangsit University, disclosed high toxicity levels had been found in the blood of people living next to a gold mine in Phichit province last month.
She admitted that without pre-mining soil tests, she could not put all the blame on the mine for the pollution.
“We cannot find data about toxicity in the soil before mining started, so we cannot identify exactly the source of pollution. Premining soil data will provide us with scientific evidence that will help both mining companies and the community,” she said.
‘’It will be key information for the state in designating mine and land zoning and putting in place proper environmental management,’’ Ms Arpa said.
The study could be conducted by thirdparty academics to ensure transparency.
Another mechanism the state needs is a so-called “superfund” — a special fund for toxicity cleanups. The money could come from tax or concession fees.
This funding mechanism has proven useful for the US Environmental Protection Agency in cleaning up many toxic sites in the US.
In Thailand it is another scenario — a sad one. As the current law requires polluters to pay the cleanup costs, what follows is lengthy court procedures as victims spend years, or even decades, suing the operators or state agencies to push for cleanups.
That’s the reason why Thailand is full of deserted polluted areas caused by mining. An arsenic-contaminated site in Ron Phibul district of Nakhon Si Thammarat has been left untreated for over three decades.
Another case is Klity village in Kanchanaburi province where toxic lead remains uncollected from the sediment of a mine at Klity Creek after two decades.
Without preventive measures, local resistance to mining operations is likely to re-emerge especially after martial law is lifted. Rather than hoping military rule will solve all their problems, the mining industry should find ways to improve accountability through scientific data and better environmental management which will secure its sustainability.
Local resistance to mining is likely to re-emerge especially after martial law is lifted.