GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government submitted a revised environmental management plan (EMP) for a mega reclamation project to the Environment Department (DoE) on May 31.
State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari told The Vibes that the EMP application was made based on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report approved on June 25, 2019.
“Yes, it was sent on May 31, according to the EIA report. That’s what we submitted,” he said via WhatsApp.
EMP is part of EIA approval requirements for the Penang South Islands (PSI) project that compels the appointed contractor to comply with prescribed environmental control measures and programmes.
The issue of the EMP submission arose when DoE, in a statement last month, denied that it was considering such a plan for the reclamation.
DoE Director-General Norlin Jaafar had said this was because the state DoE had not received the revised EMP in line with the PSI concept.
It is understood that the EMP report submitted to DoE previously did not follow the original sequence of the reclamation project as stated in the EIA report.
According to the EIA report, the PSI reclamation work should start with building 4.45 sq km of Island B, followed by Island A (9.3 sq km) and Island C (3.23 sq km).
The state government in March announced changes to the financing plan for Island A, to be made via a private financing initiative without involving money from the state government, with a 30:70 stake with SRS Consortium.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had also announced that preliminary work, or Phase 1 reclamation work, would begin on Island A first, expected to be completed in five years at a cost of RM3.8 billion.
Yesterday, The Vibes reported that the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry is mulling offering its input to DoE, which will deliberate on whether to approve the revised EMP.
The implementation of PSI, with an area of almost 17 sq km, involves the development of the three islands totalling 1,700ha in the waters of Permatang Damar Laut near Bayan Lepas.
It is part of an infrastructure project under the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan. – The Vibes, June 17, 2021
