No compromise on EIA: Masidi

No compromise on EIA: Masidi

Kota Kinabalu: State Culture, Tourism and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said there can be no compromise where companies undertaking development projects break the rules like going ahead with land clearing even before the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is approved.

"My stand is very clear. No company is above the law.

No one is exempted from requirement of EIA if it is expressly provided by law," Masidi said, in reference to a second compound of RM30,000 plus second Stop-work order issued in late December against a contractor who began clearing huge swathes of pristine estuarine mangrove forests for a 3,000-acre (originally 4,000 acres) aquaculture shrimp farm project around Sg Telaga in Pitas.

The EPD (Environment Protection Department) issued the first compound and Stop-work order on Sept. 23 but the company apparently ignored it for three months.

The Environment Protection (Prescribed Activities) Environmental Impact Assessment Order 2005, under the umbrella Sabah Environment Enactment 2002 provides in Paragraph 6 in Schedule 2 a list of Prescribed Activities that require EIA.

It cites Fisheries and Aquaculture in wetland forests as a prescribed activity which requires EIA, which reads: (i) Conversion of wetland forests into fisheries or aquaculture development covering an area 50 hectres or more, or (ii) Creation of lakes or ponds for fisheries or aquaculture development covering an area of 50 hectres of more.

EPD's definition of an EIA means a report or series of reports which provide a detailed assessment in quantitative terms wherever possible and qualitative term of the likely environmental impacts of a development activity and measures required to prevent, mitigate and abate any adverse impacts, or to protect the environment, in addition to a monitoring programme required to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures ad to monitor residual effects.

The law also empowers the Director of EPD to serve a Stop-work order on any developer who starts work without an approved EIA.

Meanwhile, Masidi said he would involve the Department of Wildlife to take charge of protection measures, including the preparation of the EIA which entails Detailed Assessment and Survey of all the Fauna, Flora and Social Aspects of the project.

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No compromise on EIA: Masidi