Gov't to reopen bauxite mining in the country if new SOP works

PARLIAMENT | The government will reopen bauxite mining activities in the country if the new standard operating procedure (SOP) for bauxite mining activities prove effective, Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said.

He said currently the Pahang government is testing the effectiveness of the implementation of the new SOP in the existing bauxite mines in Pahang.

"To test the effectiveness of the new SOP, the state government agreed that only a few operators in Gebeng, Kuantan, are allowed (to operate) after obtaining approvals," Xavier told the Dewan Rakyat during the question-and-answer session.

"We were informed that the Pahang state government proposed that it needed six months to examine the effectiveness of the new SOP before this mining activity is opened statewide and in the country," he said.

According to Xavier, the implementation of the new SOP for bauxite mining, which took effect on Sept 5, makes it compulsory for the operators to obtain the approved environmental impact assessment (EIA) certification.

The government will cancel the operating permit of any bauxite mine operator that failed to observe the new SOP, he added.

Besides the approval of EIA, other criteria set in the new SOP included a minimum size of the bauxite mines, which can cover at least 20ha of land.

Bauxite mining in Pahang was halted via a moratorium issued on Jan 15, 2016, following complaints from residents on air pollution and dangers posed by lorries transporting bauxite.

Bauxite mining allegedly caused several districts around Kuantan to be enveloped in red dust and earned the nickname ‘Planet Mars’, apart from turning rivers and waters red in Kuantan. - Mkini