Penang govt to get DoE report before deciding on Jelutong landfill project

 Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow says the process is still ongoing.

Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government has noted the concerns raised by ProtectKarpal and any final decision will be based on a comprehensive assessment of all available information.

PETALING JAYA:

The Penang government will obtain feedback and a report from the environment department before deciding on the proposed Jelutong landfill rehabilitation and sea reclamation project at Karpal Singh Drive.

Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government held a meeting with the department yesterday, and the outcome of the discussions would be tabled at the state executive council meeting tomorrow.

“We met with the department to understand the considerations surrounding the environmental impact assessment (EIA) application for the proposed landfill rehabilitation project. This means the process is still ongoing,” Bernama reported Chow as saying today.

Chow was responding to residents’ group Protect Karpal Singh Drive (ProtectKarpal), which asked whether the developer involved in the Jelutong landfill joint development agreement was receiving extraordinary leeway from the state.

ProtectKarpal claimed the project could have significant effects on the environment and local community, urging the state government to uphold its previous assurance that no further extensions would be granted.

Penang executive councillor H’ng Mooi Lye previously said the Jelutong landfill rehabilitation project had not been scrapped despite the rejection of PLB Engineering Bhd’s EIA report, and that the state government considered the project important because the old landfill had long-standing safety and pollution problems.

He said the report needed revision to address technical comments raised by the environment department, and that any extension for the project would require the approval of the state executive council.

Chow said that while the state government has noted the allegations and concerns raised by ProtectKarpal, any final decision must be based on a comprehensive assessment of all available information. -FMT