Controversial projects under DOE watch
Reports By Pang Yin Hue and Cresentia Morais
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon. —The Department of Environment (DOE) is monitoring the progress of projects subject to the Environmental Impact Assessment, particularly those which are controversial.
DOE principal assistant director Hasmah Harun said today the move was to ensure the project proponents complied with all the regulations from the time the EIA reports were approved until the implementation, construction and operation of the projects.
Hasmah, who heads the EIA section, said the DOE encountered problems since EIA requirements for 19 economic activities came into force in April 1988.
In her paper, "EIA — Malaysia’s viewpoint", she described that many proponents of projects regarded the EIA as a "stumbling block" to development instead of a planning tool.
Another problem, she said, was the timing of the submission of EIA reports.
"The EIA procedures in Malaysia have been designed to follow an integrated project planning concept so that they are carried out at the pre-feasibility and feasibility stages.
"However, this is seldom the case," she said. Hamsah said EIA reports were reduced to a "mere formality" if no adequate studies were carried out and were submitted towards the end of the project cycle without identifying the options for siting, technology and mitigation.
The DOE identified several weaknesses in the rejected EIA reports such as poor description of the project concept, lack of baseline data on environmental quality, poor prediction of its impact in quantitative terms and insufficient mitigative measures.
Hasmah said the DOE receive 532 EIA reports between 1988 and 1992. Out of the total, 499 were preliminary and detailed ones while the rest were risk assessment reports.
Infrastructural development projects accounted for most of the reports, representing 17 per cent of the 532 received.
This was followed by recreation and resort development projects (15 per cent) and industries (14 per cent).
She said the number of EIA reports submitted had increased, with Selangor taking the lead.
Source : News Straits Times, February 9 1994
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