A Safe Environment— A Public Trust In addition to making travel faster and more convenient, the project also places emphasis on environmental concerns and people's quality of life. Thus, an initial environmental examination (IEE) has been carried out to determine measures for preventing and mitigating environmental impact, and for monitoring environmental conditions.
At the same time, a detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been conducted using the feasibility study guidelines mapped out by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP). The assessment takes into consideration the project's physical and biological aspects as well as its functional use and impact on people's quality of life during construction and operation of the combined rail/road link.
The study has found that most of the impact during construction will be only temporary and will range from low to medium degree. The impact of land appropriation and resettlement will be minimized by building understanding with people living in the project area and setting up a working committee, consisting of representatives from the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), State Railways of Thailand (SRT), Bangkok Metropolitan Administration BMA and the National Housing Authority of Thailand (NHA), to determine relocation compensation payments and resettlement areas.
Impact of the project once it is up and running is expected to be relatively slight. However, to boost public trust, stringent measures have been taken to prevent and minimize potential risks during the construction and operation periods. |
