GEORGE TOWN – With the announcement that a second, updated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Penang South Islands (PSI) will be ready soon, green groups are questioning the need for it when the first is currently under judicial review.
During the launch of Koperasi Komuniti Pulau Pinang Selatan Berhad at Hotel Seri Malaysia Bayan Baru yesterday, Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said that an updated EIA will be ready latest by the first week of April.
“Because of the EIA cancelled, the physical work of reclamation has been delayed, but the planning continues.
“We are in the final stages of the new EIA, and we have new data according to the current conditions.
“The new EIA report will include the latest data from hydraulic, Social Impact Assessment, and fisheries studies, among others,” he said.
The previous EIA was said to be cancelled because of technicalities and not the contents of the report.
However, to save the time of having to resubmit if the review was rejected, a new EIA is being conducted.
Considering this, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman posed a question when speaking to The Vibes that if the state is challenging the decision of the appeal board over the first EIA, why then are they embarking on a second EIA?
She observed that the state’s stance appears that the first EIA is valid.
“Now with the second EIA that they are working on, there seems to be two EIAs’ for the same project.
“In the first EIA, I know that they are proposing to develop Island B first, then A and C.
“But for the second EIA they are going to submit, it is Island A first, then B and C.
The public interest lawyer said the state must make up their mind on what they want to do when it comes to the PSI because it comes off as they are trying to “blow cold and hot air” at the same time.
“If you are challenging the appeals board’s decision, you are basically saying that the first EIA is still valid. Now there is a second? This is very confusing,” she said.
The Green Hero founder Calvin Chan also questioned if this new EIA report reflects on the people’s feedback as well.
“I hope the report will be published for the public to read and it isn’t done behind closed doors.” – The Vibes, March 12, 2022
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