GEORGE TOWN: The company involved in the proposed Jelutong landfill rehabilitation and reclamation project is expected to respond to the Penang government's proposals by next week, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said local government, town and country planning committee chairman Jason H'ng Mooi Lye had been engaging with the company, which was given two weeks to consider the state's suggestions.
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"One week has already passed and we expect their response this coming week.
"Once they respond, we will announce the decision," Chow told reporters after attending the 26th PBA Holdings Bhd annual general meeting at a hotel here on Tuesday (June 16).
The project has come under renewed public scrutiny following calls by Protect Karpal Singh Drive for the state government to halt the plan.
The proposed RM1bil project involves rehabilitating the former Jelutong landfill and reclaiming adjacent coastal land off Karpal Singh Drive.
The 34ha landfill, which operated for more than four decades before its closure, has long been regarded as one of Penang's most challenging environmental legacy sites.
The project was awarded to PLB Engineering Bhd under a joint development agreement signed in 2020 involving the Penang Development Corporation (PDC), the state government and the company.
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The rehabilitation component is intended to address environmental and safety concerns at the former dumpsite while unlocking redevelopment potential in the area.
However, the project has faced repeated regulatory setbacks.
The Environment Department (DOE) has rejected the project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) submissions five times, with the latest rejection issued in March over unresolved technical issues and unfulfilled requirements.
Opponents of the project have cited concerns over possible environmental impacts, including effects on nearby marine ecosystems and the Middle Bank seagrass meadow.
State publisher Buletin Mutiara reported earlier that the state government had yet to decide whether or not to proceed with the project following the fifth EIA rejection, pending further review and recommendations from PDC.
