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©The Star (Used by permission)
by Royce Cheah

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sarawak Government has been urged to amend laws that state that dams and hydroelectric power schemes do not require an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study before implementing the projects.

Environmental consultant Abraham Chong said the Natural Resources and Environment (Prescribed Activities) Order had no requirement for an EIA to be conducted for dams and hydroelectric power schemes.

“The Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), which is headed by the Chief Minister, must perform its duty to safeguard the environment by recommending the necessary amendments to the state government,” he said.

Chong, who works for Kiwiheng Environmental Consultants in Sabah, said the laws in Sarawak were outdated and pointed out that EIAs for such projects could only be requested for in good faith.

“Since there is no law, there is no legal standing for the NREB to ask for an EIA,” he said, adding that a better option would be for the NREB to ask for an Environment, Safety and Health Report to be submitted as part of the project paper.

Chong was responding to the plan to build 12 hydroelectric dams in Sarawak which will push the total generating capacity in the state to 7,000 megawatts by 2020 – a 600% increase from the current capacity.

The dams will be located in the Ulu Air, Metjawah, Belaga, Baleh, Belepeh, Lawas, Tutoh, Limbang, Baram, Murum and Linau rivers. The plan will also see an extension to the Batang Ai dam.

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said on Wednesday that the building of the dams would take the environment into consideration.

At a press conference yesterday, Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said there should not be undue concern as such projects would have to go through the necessary vetting processes.

“An EIA study should be done first and the project would only go ahead if it is satisfactory,” she said.

The ministry's secretary-general Datuk Suboh Mohd Yassin said hydropower was environmentally friendly and on that basis there was merit and justification to explore the idea.

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