Batu Arang incinerator opponents eye legal challenge, launch RM100k fund

 

A residents’ group opposing the proposed Batu Arang incinerator is mulling legal action and has launched a public fundraising campaign with a target of RM100,000.

Rawang Tolak Incinerator Network (RTI) spokesperson Abdul Hanan Abd Mokti said the group was seeking legal advice before deciding on the form of action to take.

In a statement today, he said possible avenues included challenging the Environment Department’s approval of the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the Selayang Municipal Council’s conversion of land designated for the incinerator.

Another option was to challenge the Selangor government’s approval of the Selangor State Structure Plan 2035 draft, which allows for the development of a waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerator.

According to RTI, Hanan conveyed this at a community briefing in Batu Arang this morning, which was also attended by Selayang MP William Leong.

Hanan said the group expected legal proceedings to cost at least RM100,000 based on previous cases, although it could not provide a firm estimate as potential defendants had yet to be determined.

Any funds raised from the campaign would also support RTI's efforts to raise awareness about incinerator development across Malaysia, he added.

“This is not just about Batu Arang. It is an issue that could affect communities nationwide,” he stated.

He also rejected the suggestion that residents opposing the project were driven by a “not in my backyard” attitude, as RTI did not want the proposed incinerator to be relocated to another community, including Land 3 in Rawang’s Taman Pelangi, which he described as densely populated.

“Moving the incinerator there would simply shift the problem from one community to another,” he noted.

Shock over EIA nod

In July, residents expressed surprise at the approval of the EIA for the proposed Batu Arang WTE incinerator as it had previously been rejected multiple times.

At the time, Hanan claimed that authorities did not furnish any official notice to residents about the approval, which was discovered after it appeared on the DOE website on July 19.

Checks on the department’s website showed that the EIA was approved after YTL Power Generation Sdn Bhd, via a consultant firm, submitted it on May 21.

Leong (below) said he fully supported the residents’ committee’s call for Version 6 of the EIA report to be made public.

He said he had raised objections to the WTE incinerator project with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and in Parliament, and would continue raising the issue in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said residents had the right to know and understand the risks they could face, including potential air and water pollution, as well as "significant risks" linked to underground coal fires.

“Authorities and project developers must be transparent. If the EIA report is truly accurate and complete, then there is nothing to hide,” he added.

Leong also backed RTI’s fundraising effort, saying its members had invested considerable time and effort in opposing the project.

He urged residents of Batu Arang, Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang and Selayang, as well as people across Selangor and Malaysia, to support the campaign.

Strong opposition

The proposed incinerator, also known as Sultan Idris Shah Green Energy Plant, is one of several such plants approved by the Selangor government as part of its waste management strategy.

However, the project faces strong opposition from Batu Arang residents, who have raised concerns over potential health, safety and environmental impacts, including the town’s geological condition, as the proposed site is located on former open-cast coal mining land.

RTI previously claimed that the area’s geological structure could affect land stability and potentially increase the risk of ground collapse.

The group had also raised concerns over the presence of underground coal seams beneath Batu Arang, which it said extend about 50km underground.

It warned that the operation of a WTE facility could pose additional risks, including the possibility of fire or explosions. - Mkini