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KL MRT Project Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) Report is Vague

Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) is in support for an effective public transport system. However, in the case of KL MRT project, the DEIA report submitted to Department of Environment (DOE) is vague and does not prove that the project can improve the environmental quality in Klang Valley.

AWER have studied the DEIA report and submitted comments to Director General of DOE on 25th February 2011. Based on AWER’s findings, the DEIA should not be approved.

Main points of the comments submitted to the Director General of DOE are including:

(i) The EIA consultants did a non-functional project option comparison. The project option comparison should be of:

  • LRT with its supporting services compared to;
  • Monorail with its supporting services compared to;
  • MRT with its supporting services compared to;
  • KTM Komuter with its supporting services.

Only through such comparison, we can obtain proper viability of the project.

(ii) The main criterion for MRT to be constructed is to improve air quality based on the JICA study in 1997 that was referred in the DEIA report. However, the EIA consultants did not do air quality modeling and traffic modeling during operation of MRT. Therefore, the EIA consultants failed to prove that air quality will improve! Beside this, the increase in traffic congestion has direct impact to public health.

(iii) The EIA consultants claimed that 34,400 tonnes of CO2 equivalent will be avoided annually if MRT is operating. Based on AWER’s study on traffic congestion due to the MRT project operation,

  • If 100% petrol wasted due to traffic congestion, 50,145 tonnes CO2 equivalent will be released additionally;
  • If 30% diesel and 70% petrol wasted due to traffic congestion, 52,363 tonnes CO2 equivalent will be released additionally;

Either way, there will be an increase in CO2 emission compared to the claims made by EIA consultants in the DEIA report. There will be 45.8% extra emission based on petrol modelling and 52.2% extra emission based on diesel and petrol combination modeling.

 

The detail comments submitted to DOE can be viewed by public at www.awer.org.my.

 

PIARAPAKARAN S., President, Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER)

Comments (1 Posted)

  1. Peter Leow


    2011-02-28
    Arrow I am glad we have a great Malaysian like you to highlight the key points of concerns for the proposed MRT. I hope you will deliver another point of concern during the construction and even after the completion of MRT project, please ensure the flash floods will not the the nightmares for all residents and other Malaysians. WE will not be fair to developer of MRT for all the reasons of flash floods that could happen around and down stream of the project, but the recent great floods around those double track railway projects had shown us the severity of the floods could be good reminder to all of us, despite we can easily put the reason to too much rains, and we can also justify all the means and efforts were taken, but the sufferings of the victims of floods will remain to be there forever. Worst, after the heat of media reported those floods, the after effects and damages were all to be shouldered by the victims and that was all how we Malaysians had to endure. Perhaps, we should also require the SPAD to look into MASMA studies and also several other mitigation measures to deal with situations, and especially surprises during and after constructions of MRT. Thanks for your kind attentions.

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