KUALA LUMPUR – Following an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report sighted by The Vibes, the Pahang government has approved a bauxite mining project in Bukit Goh, Kuantan.
This is despite backlash from 2015 to 2016, when an environmental disaster saw the state capital suffering water and soil pollution.
The EIA carried out by KenEp Consultancy & Services Sdn Bhd raised concerns about the project awarded to BG Mining Sdn Bhd.
The report highlights the main activities to be conducted during the mining operations, including clearing vegetation on the site; excavating bauxite ore; washing bauxite; and, loading and transporting the mineral to Kemaman Port.
These activities will have an environmental impact, said the report, among them soil erosion, and the associated sediment pollution and siltation; loss of topsoil; loss of flora, fauna and habitats; air pollution due to the dust generated and dispersed during earth-moving operations; noise pollution; and, hydrological changes.
MP voices opposition
It is due to these reasons that Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh is against the project.
“Remember in 2015? The whole bauxite fiasco that saw Kuantan turning into another version of Mars also involved the current area in Bukit Goh where the mining project is slated to be carried out. Back then, the rivers went from Class 3 to Class 5,” she told The Vibes.
According to the Pahang Irrigation and Drainage Department, a Class 5 river is polluted to the point that its water is unusable.
Fuziah said such pollution is possible if raw bauxite is processed and washed on-site.
“Because the project is on Bukit Goh, the washing of bauxite could cause the (polluted) water to run downhill into nearby rivers.
“And if they decide to transport raw bauxite – meaning, it will be processed elsewhere – then there is a possibility of red earth flying around.”
The EIA lists mitigation measures, including steps to avoid river pollution.
The report recommends a “Closed-Circuit Water Recirculation System” as a primary way to prevent discharge from tailing ponds.
“The water level shall be measured at the final tailing pond to indicate the water level. An on-site environmental officer shall inspect and record the water level daily,” it said.
"When the water level reaches the benchmark during a rainfall event, immediate action shall be taken to pump water to the processing plant to prevent overspill into the nearest river.”
Bauxite dust will adversely impact forest
Former Malaysian Nature Society president Tan Sri Salleh Mohd Nor also expressed concern about the project, particularly with regard to air pollution and its impact on the nearby Bukit Kuantan Forest Reserve.
Asked about the kind of effects that air pollution caused by mining will have on flora, he said the consequences will be seen in the long term.
“Air pollution (from bauxite) will have a negative impact on photosynthesis. This is due to leaves potentially being affected by the dust.
“It will affect the flowering of plants and change their physiology in the long term.”
In turn, he said, other species, such as insects and moss, will be forced to adapt to these changes.
Mine a much-needed income source for villagers
However, the project has its supporters, too.
For example, residents of Kg Felda Bukit Goh who have land on the project site are promised by the state government a cut of the mining proceeds.
Village head Jefri Salim said so far, there is no timeline for when the project will start.
“Villagers have no source of income as the oil palm trees are old and can’t be harvested any more. So, they are hoping for the mining project (to take off).”
There are some 600 people living in Kg Felda Bukit Goh, he said, and 40% of them have land in the mining area.
Despite hopes for operations to begin, Jefri said there are still concerns.
“It seems like the Pahang State Development Corp (PKNP), which is the trustee of the project and a state government company, is focused only on the EIA and contractor.
“The project covers 3,642ha and PKNP has elected BG Mining as the contractor, but they shouldn’t focus on having just one contractor for such a big project.”
Sg Lembing assemblyman Datuk Md Sohaimi Mohamed Shah said he would like mining to continue in Bukit Goh.
“A lot of them (Kg Felda Bukit Goh residents) are affected because they can’t get an income from palm oil.”
Even if the site is suitable to replant oil palm trees, he said, this is impossible as the land is legally tied to mining.
On environmental worries, he believes strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) are enough to prevent problems from arising.
“Before this, there were a lot of gaps and weaknesses that caused issues, leading to complaints from the public.
“So, if mining is to resume, it must be done with strict SOPs in place.”
He said if raw bauxite is to be transported by lorries, it must be guaranteed that red earth and other debris are not released into the environment.
“In terms of water, I think we have a system. If the rivers are affected, steps must be taken immediately to rectify the issue.” – The Vibes, July 14, 2021
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