More mining plans?

The Bukit Goh and Bukit Kuantan area in a photo taken in May. Photo courtesy of Department of Environment.

SUBANG JAYA, June 23 – The Department of Environment today displayed another set of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the public and interested parties to give their feedback on a proposed plan for bauxite mining covering an area of 3,642.176 hectares in Bukit Goh and Bukit Kuantan in Kuala Kuantan, Pahang.

The EIA report, which is available via online at DOE’s website as well as three locations in Pahang, namely at the Ministry of Environment and Water’s DOE library in Putrajaya, Pahang’s Department of Environment building and at the Kuantan City Council.

The deadline for sending in feedback on the EIA is on July 21 this year.

The project will be undertaken by a trustee company, PKNP Mineral Industries Sdn Bhd, set up under the Pahang State Development Corporation.

BG Mining Sdn Bhd has been appointed to undertake the mining work.

Under the proposal, the company will carry out bauxite mining activity under three phases covering Bukit Goh and Bukit Kuantan in the district of Kuantan. Only areas containing bauxite will be mined, according to the project details.

Besides mining the minerals, the company will also carry out the processing and transportation of the product.

The works will be carried out in accordance with the standard operating procedures as set by the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources 2019.

Former Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar in a media report in July 2019 had said that the country’s mineral resources — which comprise tin ore, iron ore, gold, magnesium and coal — were worth an estimated RM732 billion in total.

Dr Xavier said exploration efforts by the Mineral and Geoscience Department Malaysia have found sizeable amounts of rare earth in several states, including in Kedah, Perak, Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, as well as Sabah and Sarawak, valued at RM178.14 billion.

Meanwhile, President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Meena Raman said it was very concerned with the mushrooming of mining operations plans of late.

“This development is in odds with the country’s pledge to look into preserving biodiversity. It is especially worrying as all this new mining plans are being proposed in environmentally sensitive areas.

“There really needs to be more coherence between the policy makers and those approving projects such as this,” she told Weekly Echo.’

–WE