Press Releases LOGGING FORESTS WITHOUT EIA IS CONTRARY TO LAW AND UNDERMINES EIA PROCESS 28 September 2000 Sahabat Alam Malaysia is shocked by the response of Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Osu Sukam regarding the logging of 30,000 ha of forests in south eastern Sabah for the Kalabakan Pulp and Paper Mill project. The Chief Minister had clarified that the logging was carried out as the land is needed for the purpose of planting trees so that the company undertaking the project can proceed to plant the trees for the pulp mill. According to press reports, this was the reason given to him by Yayasan Sabah's Innoprise Corporation Sdn. Bhd, which is supposed to hold a 40% stake in the joint-venture company with China Fuxing Pulp and Paper Industries and Lions Management Sdn. Bhd. We are in the dark as to how the logging can proceed without the submission and approval of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report by the Department of Environmental Conservation of Sabah. In response to SAM's letters to the Environment Department, we were informed in August this year that the project proponents have yet to submit an EIA for the project. According to our understanding of the law relating to EIAs, an EIA is required for the clearing of the forests, the planting of trees for the plantation and for the pulp mill. Under the Sabah Conservation of Environment (Prescribed Activities) Order 1999, any forest which is cleared for the felling of timber covering an area of 500 ha or more or any development of forest plantaion having an area of 500 ha or more require an EIA to be done. In this case, an area of 30,000 ha of forests are being cleared. Clearly, this requires an EIA. How can the logging proceed without an EIA at this stage? The clearing of the forests for the tree plantation is an integral part of the pulp mill project and to proceed with logging without an EIA appears to be illegal! The Sabah Government in allowing the logging to go on is making a mockery of the law and is undermining the EIA process. The purpose of an EIA prior to the commencement of any project is to assess the environmental impacts and ascertain if the mitigation measures proposed by the project proponent is sufficient to minimise the damage to the environment. If the environmental impacts are severe and the mitigation measures inadequate, the EIA must be rejected and the project cannot proceed. The actions of the company carrying out the logging operations appears to assume that they will get an automatic approval of any EIA which they may submit later! By allowing the logging to proceed without an EIA, the Sabah Government is completely disregarding the environmental impacts of the forest clearing activity and is ignoring the law. Since this project was mooted by the Federal Government, it is imperative that both the Federal and State Governments show respect for the environment and the law relating to EIAs. How can both the Federal and State Governments condone an illegal action by the company? SAM calls on the Sabah Chief Minister to clarify this question. S.M.Mohd. Idris President