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Nuclear power plant faces strong resistance - Nationmultimedia.com
A survey team scouting locations for the country's first nuclear power plant was blocked yesterday by villagers in the Tha Chana district of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Somboon Arayasakul, deputy governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, said Egat could not inspect the site for the nuclear power plant and hand out information on nuclear power to people as planned.
He blamed the public resistance on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with overseas funding.
The state enterprise might have to halt plant construction if next year it still fails to connect with local people. Egat might shift to communicating with the nationwide public about the pros and cons of nuclear power, he said.
Early this year, Egat, in cooperation with a research institute, conducted an opinion poll asking about 40,000 citizens their feelings towards nuclear power plants. Most respondents supported the construction of the plants, with a few disagreeing out of safety concerns.
Egat has to speed up the delivery of a clear message to people - especially those in the 16 places listed for establishing a nuclear plant - that nuclear power is a clean energy and does not pollute the environment, he said.
Egat's survey suspension would also pave the way for the Energy Regulatory Commission, which is considering the charges for electricity from nuclear plants, to forward the charges to local residents.
If the regulator sets the rate at 5 satang per unit, the area allowing the accommodation of a nuclear power plant will receive financial support of Bt400 million a year. The funds will persuade the community to develop its area while relieving the tension, he said.
The Egat survey team, led by Pinet Sukornwan, said the villagers who prevented them from entering the area were representatives from NGOs that worked with local politicians and were backed by international NGOs.
Even if the protest is legal, the survey team is concerned about the false information being spread on nuclear power, such as claims that it is a poor investment and unsafe.

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