EGAT realizes the environmental impact of the lignite-fired power plant on quality of air, water, soil and the living condition of the people. Therefore, EGAT had made an ecological survey before the power plant construction. Among EGAT power projects, EGAT had conducted the most ecological and environmental study and improvement for Mae Moh Power Plant.

Social & Environmental Management

Water quality

• Water from electricity generation process is subjected to biological treatment. Cesspools are available at interval for sedimentation of suspended solids and provided with vegetation to absorb solution mixed with water, aeration, and regular quality inspection.
• Reducing the amount of wastewater from the mine by using circulating water system in the mine as much as possible and treating the water to the standard quality before releasing into public water source

• Monitoring and analyzing water quality regularly every 3 month by sampling in the summer and rainy season every year continuously

Air quality

• Assessment of total suspended particulate matter (TSP), particulate matter less than 10 µm and particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in the community around Mae Moh Power Plant by 16 EGAT Air Quality Monitoring Stations and 3 stations of Pollution Control Department. The result will be reported to the control room of the power plant and online to Mae Moh Hospital and Pollution Control Department. If it is found that the intensity of sulfur dioxide exceeds the standard, the power plant operation will be discontinued.
• Installation of Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) with the capacity of 89.5–99.7% at the power plant to screen the dust from the combustion of lignite before releasing from the stack
• Installation of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) at Units 8-13 and Unit 1 (MM-T1) which can reduce gas of 95%
• Spraying water on the road regularly to reduce dust and on the diffusing material during transferring

Noise

• Measurement of the noise at the source, from the operation of the generator in the power plant and the vicinity, to control the noise to be within the standard limit

Odour

• EGAT has a measure to control the smell by controlling the amount of coal reserves to be appropriate and to be finished within 2 weeks to reduce the possibility of auto ignition.
• Installation of Infrared Thermography (IR) to inspect the area liable to flammability. The area which is found to be flammable will be put under control.

Tremor

• Measurement has been made on tremor at the 3 communities in the vicinity of the power plant, i. e., Ban Hua Fai, Ban Hang Hung, and Ban Huay King and reported the result to the village representatives.

Community development funds

• Health monitoring fund of the project of limestone mine for chemical industry
• Community development fund of the villages around limestone mine for chemical industry

Evacuation of the affected people

• As the mine operation and power plant construction required a large land, EGAT has invested a lot of money to find new lands for living and occupation and fair compensation to the affected people according to the criteria in land allocation for living and occupation. The new allocated land is completed with public facilities such as water, electricity, roads, water filtration plant, school, hospital, government center, post office, and market. Occupational promotion has been conducted. As such, the village of Tha Patun-Na Kham was praised from the World Bank representative as a “World model village which is perfect in all aspects.”

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) project

1. Project to Support Community Forest in Mae Moh District
2. Project of Social Mapping
3. Project of Traditional Music Promotion
4. Project of Community Activity Development
5. Project of Entertaining Senior Citizen of Mae Moh District
6. Project of Football and Volleyball Promotion for Youth
7. Project of Volunteer Network Promotion  
8. Project of Promoting Knowledge in Participatory Community Work in Public Communication
9. Mobile Health Service Activity

Public benefit projects

1. Establishment of Mae Moh EGAT College of Technology and Management
2. Establishment of Occupational Medicine Center in Cooperation with Ministry of Public Health
3. Establishment of Museum of Lignite Learning Center (Mae Moh Mine)
4. Improvement of the landscape in the Northeastern direction of the upper part of the land dump to become a field of Mexican Sunflower of 500 rai.
5. Organizing sport event of Mae Moh half-marathon and Mae Moh tourism festival to promote tourism and increase revenue to the people living in Mae Moh District and Lampang Province. The activities which are held annually are included in the Lampang tourism calendar.
6. Improvement of the landscape and restoration of Mae Moh Mine by building a golf course to provide an occupation for the people