the Department of Primary Industries and Mines is pushing for a law to help the mining industry expand without heeding environmental and social concerns. Most areas rich with mineral deposits are in mountainous terrain covered with forests. But if the department has its way, it will no longer matter if those potential mining sites are in protected forests or not. According to the draft law, mining will be the priority, not forest conservation. That is not all. Equally worrying is the department's efforts to ensure mining companies will no longer have to apply for state concessions or to receive cabinet approval for the use of forest areas. If the bill is approved _ likely before the cabinet next month _ mining consents can be directly issued by the ministry itself through ministerial regulations. When state concessions are not involved, the environmental impact assessment required by law can then be bypassed. The constitutional mandate which requires community approval for any projects that affect the environment and residents' way of life will also be trampled upon. This is simply wrong. Thailand has witnessed far too many environmental and health disasters from mining. One example = After three decades, the Mae Mo villagers in Lampang are still suffering from respiratory problems caused by lignite mining. Klity creek in the Kanchanaburi forests is still contaminated by 10,000 tonnes of toxic residues, 14 years after pollution in the creek first made news. The Karen forest dwellers there have not received treatment for lead poisoning. And the pollution control authorities still refuse to rehabilitate the creek. Meanwhile, the Mae Tao ricefields in Tak's Mae Sot district have been contaminated by cadmium from zinc mining. Farmers there are afflicted by kidney failure, which some believe is linked to the mining activity. The zinc company refused to admit any wrong-doing. So did the gold mine company in Loei's Wang Saphung district despite the villagers' illnesses and contaminated rice fields. Please sign this petition to help the Thai environment, people and your Planet. Thank you