LETTER | EIA on lintonite should be made public

LETTER | The Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue (ACID) is concerned that the Perak state government has given the green light for the mining of a rare earth mineral called lintonite in Hulu Perak to boost its revenue.

Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad (above) said the state government had received the nod from the Environment Department to implement the pilot project.

It is common knowledge around the world that mining can pollute the air and drinking water, harm wildlife and habitat and permanently scar the natural landscapes. Modern mines as well as abandoned mines are responsible for significant environmental damage throughout the West.

While various mining activities defer in their impact on the environment, the modus operandi of such activities has various risk dimensions and I believe the people of Perak would like to know the risk factors to the environment and the criteria used by the Department of Environment to approve the pilot project.

Pollution related issues in Perak and in the country have, as a whole, been on the back burner due to the focus on rapid development over the decades.

To date, we have no data on diseases and deaths caused by pollution in the country. While the political elites seem to be concerned about the environment by initiating the planting of trees around the state, it will do no good if there is no desire to build a strong eco-system to protect the environment that includes action on pollution.

There is a need to do away with piecemeal environmental improvement.

A new vision of developmental revenue that portrays nature's beauty as it is - and which attracts the world of tourism - should be the way forward, rather than exploiting nature with severe multiple consequences that injure the common good.

ACID, therefore, urges the Department of Environment to make public the rationale for approving the environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the mining of lintonite.

The critical nature of environmental issues in the country requires the Perak state government to be more transparent about the nature of this mining activity, even though it is in a pilot form.

RONALD BENJAMIN is Secretary of the Association for Welfare Community and Dialogue (ACID). 

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