In 2012, fuel-giant Chevron planned construction of a port in Thailand’s Tha Sala district. This plan was strongly opposed by local residents such as fishermen, as they argued that it would hurt their ability to make a living.
Chevron’s port plan was intended to help the company in its oil drilling operations in the Gulf of Thailand. While the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) approved the plan’s environmental health impact assessment (EHIA), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) filed a complaint against the construction approval. The NHRC argued that the EHIA report is inaccurate.
Residents of the area strongly opposed the original EHIA, and created their own community health impact assessment with the aid of another researcher, which was also submitted to the ONEP.
In addition to these threats to livelihood, the project also threatened many marine species.