Proposed Kenderong forest mining and logging project environmentally unsound, says SAM

IPOH: Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is objecting to a proposed logging and tin mining project at the Kenderong forest reserve in Hulu Perak.

Its president Meenakshi Raman said the 245ha plot proposed for the project was in a pristine natural forest.

According to the cover page of the environment impact assessment (EIA), the mining leaseholder was the Mentri Besar Incorporated (MBInc), she said.

"Clear cutting, supposedly discreet clear felling as mentioned in the EIA, would mean 245ha of the forest land would end up disastrous.

"Coupled with mining operations that will result in contamination of water resources, it will be catastrophic," she said in a statement on Friday (Feb 4).

Meenakshi added that the proposed site was an environmentally sensitive area under Rank One, whereby no development, agriculture or logging should be permitted, except for low impact nature tourism activities, research and education purposes.

She said in addition to this, the proposed site was located within the primary linkage of the Central Forest Spice (CFS) region where it was reported that the area houses endangered and nearly extinct species of wildlife like elephants, tigers, tapirs and sun bears.

"The primary linkage is an important natural corridor which allows large mammals to travel from one primary forest to another to find food and shelter.

"Proposing mining projects at such naturally pristine locations will further exacerbate the already worsened human wildlife conflict situation in Malaysia," she added.

Meenakshi said according to the EIA, the proposed site was hilly terrain that had an elevation between 320 and 450m.

Moreover, she said that the proposed site was also a water catchment area, whereby the EIA report clearly states that there were tributary rivers that ran in close proximity of the project side that flows into Sungai Perak.

She said Sungai Perak was an important water source that provided 45% of potable water for the state, and jeopardising the water source of the local community for mere fiscal benefits is irresponsible.

"A calamitous precedent has already been set in 2019 that proved conducting mining activities at such sensitive areas spells disaster when traces of arsenic was found in the Air Ganda water intake point caused by a licensed mining company at the same proposed site.

"No matter what type of mitigation and reparation plans the project proponent might have recommended, carrying out environmentally disastrous projects will degrade the environment.

"Thus SAM strongly opposes such proposed projects, and would like to reiterate our firm stand against any kind of environmentally unsound project proposal that imperils the environment, jeopardises water sources and threatens the livelihood of communities," she added.

SAM urged the Environment Department to reject the EIA report, and the state government to take immediate action to revoke the degazettement of the Kenderong forest reserve, and gazette it as a water catchment forest.

Efforts are being made to get a response from MBInc, the Mentri Besar as well as the Environment Department.