Omkoi villagers file lawsuit to revoke coal mine EIA
50 residents of Kaboedin village, Omkoi district, Chiang Mai, filed a lawsuit with the Chiang Mai Administrative Court on Monday (4 April) to revoke an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a coal mine project sited near their community.
On Monday morning, community members marched from the Bank of Thailand’s Chiang Mai branch to the Chiang Mai Administrative Court, where they filed a lawsuit against the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning’s expert committee on EIA consideration for mining and extracting industries.
They asked the court to revoke the EIA report for the Omkoi coal mine, a project being developed by the Thuwanon Company, out of the concern that, if implemented, the project will have negative impacts on the health and livelihoods of Kaboedin residents, an indigenous Karen agricultural community. They also requested that a new assessment be conducted in a transparent manner and with participation from affected communities.
Prachatai
