Governor, SPRC to discuss local payout

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has instructed the governor of Rayong to sit down with representatives from Star Petroleum Refining Plc (SPRC) to thrash out appropriate compensation for local fishermen affected by the oil leaks from its underwater pipeline, it was announced on Monday.

Jatuporn Buruspat, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said the decision to have governor Channa Iamsaeng negotiate on behalf of the fishermen was made at a meeting attended by representatives from the local fishing industry.

The meeting, which was also attended by officials from the Pollution Control Department (PCD) and Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), agreed that compensation should be based on a court ruling on Rayong’s worst oil spill, which happened back in 2013.

Mr Jatuporn said the latest official inspection of the area’s coastline…