No EIA submitted for Kedah rare earth mining yet

 

PARLIAMENT | The Department of Environment has yet to receive any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for rare earth mining activities in Kedah.

This was revealed by Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to Parliament in a written reply to Taufiq Johari (Pakatan Harapan - Sungai Petani).

Taufiq had asked Putrajaya to state if the Kedah government had submitted an EIA report for such activities and asked where the mining activities will take place.

This question was posed in view of Menteri Besar Kedah Incorporated (MBI Kedah) signing of a memorandum of understanding with Jangka Bakat Minerals Sdn Bhd and China's Xiamen Tungsten Co Ltd on the exploration, technical assistance and mining of rare earth elements (REE) in Kedah in January.

At the time, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor described his state as an upcoming REE producer and that the state's REE deposits are of high quality.

In 2020, Sanusi expressed the state's intention to tap its rare earth deposits which are valued at RM62 billion.

Following this, there have been complaints that illegal rare earth mining was already taking place in the state, especially the Bukit Enggang Forest Reserve in Sik. - Mkini