Two previous submissions of the EHIA were rejected by ONEP as they "needed improvement". In addition, locals claim that only 700 rai (112 hectares) of the 2,962 rai needed for the plant are state-owned. More than 240 families, or 800 people, live on adjacent plots earmarked for the plant. Most of them have refused to relocate. When EGAT hosted a meeting for landowners willing to sell their land, only some 25 persons showed up. EGAT officials maintain that 95 percent of Pak Bang Sub-district residents welcomed the project and that those opposing it were outsiders. On 17 August 2017, an expert committee of the Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning Office approved the 2,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant's EHIA, removing one of the last hurdles to the plant's construction. The EHIA's approval was met with renewed criticism. The "Bangkok Post" commented that, "These...assessments turn out to be just another rubber stamp for operators — in this case...EGAT..." A construction schedule has not yet been published.