Save Sabah!

Save Sabah's Natural Heritage and Future Generations!

Respect DOE’s decision to reject coal plant DEIA: Masidi

Posted by Save Sandakan On August - 22 - 2010

Published on: Friday, August 20, 2010

Kota Kinabalu: Everyone should respect the decision by the Department of Environment (DOE) to reject the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) for the proposed coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun, said the decision by the DOE Director-General was strictly based on facts submitted in the report by the consultants appointed by the proponent of the 300MW plant, which was to be sited at Sinakut in the Dent Peninsular.

“At this point of time, all quarters should respect the decision of the Director-General.

“There is no other ulterior (motive)Éto me it’s basically a professional decision (based on) the public report (on which) everybody have given their piece,” he said, to reporters after opening the Sabah Arts and Photography Society Members Photography exhibition here, Thursday.

Under normal procedures, he said, the project proponent has a choice of scrapping the project or appeal for another DEIA.

“As we all might remember, the Prime Minister and Chief Minister themselves have given an assurance that the Government is going to act based on professional reasoningÉI assure you this (the decision) is one of that,” Masidi said.

“I’ve met those who have given their opinions and I told them in no uncertain terms that the State Government is bound to strictly comply with the Terms of Reference (TOR) provided and prepared for this project.”

To a question on whether another DEIA was in the offing, he said: “(You) have to ask that question to the proponent of the projectÉand of course (if any), I hope it would be dictated by conscience and public opinion.”

To another question, he said there was always another alternative towards power generation but that the scale and cost were the main considerations.

“The price of fuel keeps going up these days (so) the Government picked this (coal) because it is the cheapest to generate electricity but it comes with its own risks,” Masidi said.

“We can’t really say this is the best because the best always has something attached to it (but) we cannot depend on fuel for power generation forever.”

Sabah Environment Department Director, Yabi Yangkat, said a key point given by the DOE for rejecting the DEIA, prepared by a team of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) consultants, was that many important environmental parameters were not addressed in the report.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=74178

Popularity: 11% [?]