EIA for Lynas PDF not yet approved - DOE

 

The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for Lynas permanent disposal facility (PDF) has not been approved, said Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Norlin Jaafar.

She told Malaysiakini that the department had not decided on whether to approve the EIA.

"We are still looking into the EIA report. We have not come into any decision," said Norlin when contacted.

This is despite the report prepared by AGV Environment Sdn Bhd was submitted to the DOE on Jan 26, according to the records on the department website.

In general, the time taken for DOE to approve any detailed EIA report is 12 weeks, according to an environmental requirement guideline published on the website.

The 12-week period includes the public display and comments period.

If calculated from Jan 26, yesterday was exactly 12 weeks since the submission.

When asked about the deadline for DOE's decision, Norlin reiterated that the department is still examining it.

Department of Environment director-general Norlin Jaafar

In February, Malaysiakini reported that Lynas was planning to store the waste in a water catchment area in Bukit Ketam, Kuantan, despite the firm initially denying that it was a water catchment area.

The PDF was part of a wider integrated waste disposal facility with involvement from the Pahang royalty.

Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah relinquished his direct shareholding in the project following Malaysiakini's report.

The public viewing and feedback period was originally supposed to run from Jan 27 until Feb 28 but later extended until March 19.

‘Concerns raised are serious and critical’

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman today urged the DOE to carefully examine all the objections raised by the public and civil society groups over the EIA report for Lynas' PDF.

"The concerns raised are serious and critical, as they have implications for the human life, health, and environment for generations to come. There are also serious legal issues that have been raised."

Meenakshi added that one of the concerns was that the proposed site for PDF is located in a forest reserve and is contrary to the Kuantan Local Plan (KLP).

According to the Environmental Quality Act, the DOE director-general should not approve the EIA if the project contravenes the local plan for the area, she explained.

"In view of this violation, the DG has no option but to reject the Lynas EIA, so long as the KLP is not amended.

"Any amendments to the KLP must follow the planning law processes, cannot simply be amended without public consultations and hearings," she said. - Mkini