BarisaMisleading, erroneous and inaccurate information have been found in the Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment; Department of Environment should direct the Project Proponent for the Petrochemical and maritime industries at Tanjung Bin, Johor to submit a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA)

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Media Statement 
by Thing Siew Shuen
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(Petaling Jaya, Tuesday) : We were informed by the concern public expressing their concerns about the EIA report on Petrochemical and maritime industries at Tanjung Bin, Johor, which was submitted by the project proponent Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd.  

As far as we are concerned, activities within the project such as oil storage, ship building and repair, grit blasting, heavy metal fabrication will be done on a wetland area, which is adjacent to an internationally significant wetland (Ramsar site), which will bring enormous impacts to the wetlands and affect the livelihood of the fishermen nearby. 

According to the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by Hijau Sekitar Sdn Bhd, there will be a broad-scale clearing of 2255 acres of mangrove forest, which can be approximated to 913 soccer fields - that will disappear permanently from the global map. 

We also found that some conclusions were already made even before the professional field-work and research were conducted. For instance, the report states that “it is expected that the seagrass beds will regenerate themselves” after rivers are dredged.  

In fact, the seagrass beds found at the river bank of Sungai Pulai are the most extensive seagrass beds in the country, as there are at least ten types of seagrass growing, while also serving as homes to various types of marine life, which local fishermen relies on. 

The formation of seagrass beds take a long time. A bed requires specific conditions of water-depth, current-pattern, water-quality, sunlight, nutrients, and much more. Who can ensure that after the development of such heavy polluted industries, the seagrass bed will still be preserved?  

Another serious error in the EIA report was the lack of consultation in the assessment. Seahorse species which were found in Sungai Pulai is Hippocampus Kuda, not Hippocampus denise. The latter are the smallest seahorse in the world which can only be found in deep water coral reef. Additionally, the report did not mention marine life such as pipefish, dugongs which are listed in the Red List of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).  

We also doubt the report’s claim that there is only a 500m buffer zone between the industrial site and RAMSAR site. With such a short distance between the industrial and the wetland area, how can the industrialists and authorities ensure that the heavy industries will not destroy RAMSAR site?  

Currently, there are five Ramsar sites in Malaysia. According to Ramsar Convention signed by 155 countries in 1971, should there be any occurred, occurring or likely-to-occur changes in the ecological character of our lands as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference, Malaysia will be listed in the Montreux Record; a record which indicates that we have failed in preserving our wetland heritage, and this will certainly tarnish the image of our country.  

Clearly, in the environmental impacts assessment of heavy industries onto our natural heritage, the Preliminary EIA report is too simplistic, and lacking professionalism. The Department of Environment should direct the developers to submit a Detailed EIA report, which will display the lasting effects of its industry to the environment, and allowing the general public to have a say in the matter, as in the long run, it is the people’s children who will inherit these lands. And who is to say that they will want a perished wetland?                               

(14/8/2007)