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Nam Theun 1 Dam: Responsible Govts & Companies Must Ensure Safety of Communities living nearby!
Joseph Akaravong, a Lao Environmental and Community Rights Activist, has been ardently reporting the Nam Theun 1 incident through his personal Facebook.
Endnotes
[1] Manushya Foundation, News Release: Lao Government and Implicated Companies Must Deliver Justice For Survivors of 2018 Attapeu Dam Collapse, (26 July 2022), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/laogovernment-and-implicatedcompanies-must-deliver-justice-for-survivors-of-attapeudamcollapse; Radio Free Asia, Unease downstream despite assurances that leaking Lao Nam Theun 1 is safe, (20 July 2022), available at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/dam-worry-07202022183610.html; Joseph Akaravong Facebook Page, Public posts of 16 July 2022 sharing the accident at the Nam Theun 1 dam, (16 July 2022), available at: https://bit.ly/3BhgjSu and https://bit.ly/3Qb4em7; Thai PBS News, สทนช.ประเมินเขื่อนน้ำเทิน 1 ในลาวรั่วซึมจากการก่อสร้าง ไม่กระทบน้ำโขง, (17 July 2022), available at: https://news.thaipbs.or.th/content/317589; Office of the National Water Resources Facebook Page, Public post of 17 July 2022 regarding the accident at the Nam Theun 1 dam, (17 July 2022), available at: https://www.facebook.com/onwrnews/posts/pfbid02Xm3NnRrhgBL7JTmxsrvb9fFnYSF7BBX1YZ92pzD1Nt8sSXHoc2WoJKBidrnYrFHSl
[2] See Manushya Foundation, Follow-Up UN Complaint to seek Justice for the Survivors of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Dam Collapse in Attapeu Province, Laos, (28 February 2022), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/followup-un-complaint-on-attapeu-xpxn-dam-collapse
[3] Nam Theun 1 Power Company, Project Overview, (2018), available at: https://www.nt1pc.com/
[4] EGCO Group, History, (2017), available at: https://www.egco.com/en/corperate-profile-history
[5] Chaleun Sekong Energy Company Limited (CSE), Nam Theun 1 (General Information), (2022), available at: https://csenergy.la/our-business/hydropower-plants/power-plants-under-construction-2/nam-theun-1-2/?lang=en
[6] RFA Lao, Unease downstream despite assurances that leaking Lao Nam Theun 1 is safe, (20 July 2022), available at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/dam-worry-07202022183610.html; Electricity Generating Public Company Limited or EGCO Group, Clarification of Water Leak of Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project at Lao PDR, (17 July 2022), available at: https://www.egco.com/en/news-update/2022/statement-namtheun1; Bangkok Post, Laos dam leaks normal, says Thai partner, (18 July 2022), available at: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2348408/laos-dam-leaks-normal-says-thai-partner
[7] Nam Theun 1 Power Company, Project Overview, (2018), available at: https://www.nt1pc.com/; EGCO Group, EGCO Group Expands its Portfolio in Lao PDR as Shareholders’ Agreement and PPAs of “Nam Theun 1” Hydropower Project Successfully Reached, (25 September 2017), available at: https://www.egco.com/en/news-update/2017/nam-theun-1-ppa-signing
[8] Such practices have been denounced by a group of 37 Lao villagers negatively impacted by the Xayaburi dam in Laos, who brought to Thai courts the power purchase agreement between the Xayaburi dam and EGAT buying 95% of the energy produced there. On 17 August 2022, the Supreme Administrative Court in Bangkok issued a verdict dismissing the villagers’ claim. See Panu Wongcha-um, Thai court throws out decade-long legal fight over Laos dam, (17 August 2022), available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thai-court-throws-out-decade-long-legal-fight-over-laos-dam-2022-08-17/
[9] Information was obtained through a private conversation with employees of the dam and local residents.
[10] RFA Lao, Lao power officials say no danger from ‘seepage’ at Nam Theun 1 Dam, (18 July 2022), available at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/dam-seepage-07182022181706.html
[11] Nam Theun 1 Power Company, Environment, available at: https://www.nt1pc.com/environment/environment-4/
[12] Information was obtained through a private conversation with the expert.
[13] Vientiane Times, Conflict over power generation in 3 dams ruled out, (16 december 2020), available at: https://www.vientianetimes.org.la/freeContent/FreeConten_Conflict_244.php
[14] ProCEEd - Promotion of Climate-related Environmental Education, 10 Facts on Climate Change in Lao PDR, available at: https://www.giz.de/en/downloads/giz2014-en-10-facts-climate-change-laos.pdf
[15] Vientiane Times, Overflow alert issued for Mekong communities, (15 August 2022), available at: https://www.vientianetimes.org.la/freeContent/FreeConten2022_Overflow156.php
[16] RFA, Leak ‘partially fixed’ at Laos’ Nam Theun 1 Dam, (10 August 2022), available at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/dam-08102022140955.html
[17] Information was obtained through a private conversation with employees of the dam and local residents.
[18] SMAR 2019 - Fifth Conference on Smart Monitoring, Assessment and Rehabilitation of Civil Structures, Use of cement-based grouts in the rehabilitation of concrete dams: a review by João Ricardo Marques Conde Da Silva, (2019), available at: https://www.ndt.net/article/smar2019/papers/We.2.B.8.pdf
[19] Please refer to the ‘Background’ section of the release for more detailed information regarding the corporate structure of NT1PC.
[20] Rights and Liberties Protection Department, Ministry of Justice of Thailand, 1st National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in Thailand (2019-2022), (October 2019), available at: https://www.undp.org/asia-pacific/bizhumanrights/publications/first-national-action-plan-business-and-human-rights-thailand
[21] The Star, Lao weather bureau issues flood, landslides alert, (10 August 2022), available at: https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/08/10/lao-weather-bureau-issues-flood-landslides-alert
[22] Market Screener, EGCO Group Kicks off Commercial Operation of “Nam Theun 1” Hydropower Plant to Supply Electricity to EGAT, (14 August 2022), available at: https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/ELECTRICITY-GENERATING-6492378/news/Electricity-Generating-EGCO-Group-Kicks-off-Commercial-Operation-of-ldquo-Nam-Theun-1-rdquo-Hydr-41313426
[23] Market Screener, Electricity Generating: 15 August 2022 Notification of Commercial Operation Date of Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project under Power Purchase Agreement with Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, (15 August 2022), available at: https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/ELECTRICITY-GENERATING-6492378/news/Electricity-Generating-15-August-2022-Notification-of-Commercial-Operation-Date-of-Nam-Theun-1-Hyd-41313329/
[24] Vientiane Times, Conflict over power generation in 3 dams ruled out, (16 December 2020), available at: https://www.vientianetimes.org.la/freeContent/FreeConten_Conflict_244.php
[25] International Rivers, International Rivers’ Letter to Gamuda and EGCO on Nam Theun 1, (24 January 2008), available at: https://www.riverresourcehub.org/resources/international-rivers-letter-to-gamuda-and-egco-on-nam-theun-1-3179/
[26] Government of Laos (GOL), Decree No. 21/GOAL, Decree on Environmental Impact Assessment, (31 January 2019), available at: https://data.thailand.opendevelopmentmekong.net/en/laws_record/decree-on-environmental-impact-assessment (Lao) https://flegtlaos.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/5/Decree-on-EIA-No.21-dated-31Jan2019_ENG.pdf (English)
[27] Manushya Foundation, 3rd UPR Cycle of Lao PDR - UPR Factsheet - Business and Human Rights in Lao PDR (page 3), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/lao-pdr-upr-factsheets
[28] Nam Theun 1 Project Company Limited, Project Overview, (2018) available at: https://www.nt1pc.com/
[29] Chaleun Sekong Energy Company Limited (CSE), Nam Theun 1 (General Information), (2022), available at: https://csenergy.la/our-business/hydropower-plants/power-plants-under-construction-2/nam-theun-1-2/?lang=en
[30] Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, 18 January Contract Signing for Nam Theun 1, available at:https://www.itd.co.th/document-file/ir/18%20January%202017%20Contract%20Signing%20for%20Nam%20Theun%201.pdf
[31] Clifford Chance, Clifford Chance advises on US$1 billion Nam Theun 1 Power Project in Laos, (3 April 2018), available at: https://www.cliffordchance.com/news/news/2018/04/clifford-chance-advises-on-us-1-billion-nam-theun-1-power-projec.html
[32] Nam Theun 1 Power Company, About Us, (2018), available at: https://www.nt1pc.com/about-us/; Asian Development Bank, Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Energy Sector Assessment, Strategy and Road Map, (November 2019), available at: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-document/547396/lao-pdr-energy-assessment-2019.pdf; Phayboune Thanabouasy, Laotian Times, Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project Now 85 Percent Complete, (6 April 2021), available at: https://laotiantimes.com/2021/04/06/nam-theun-1-hydropower-project-now-85-percent-complete/