Rethink Plan For Iron Ore Plant in Lumut!

2010/12/20
ANANTHAN SUBRAMANIAN, Kuala Lumpur
letters@nst.com

I AM concerned about the recent news that a Brazilian company, Vale SA, is setting up an iron ore plant in Lumut, Perak.

I have worked in a similar industry and I am familiar with Vale's practices, and would like to bring its history to light for the protection of one of our country's top beach holiday destinations and fishing industries.

Firstly, Vale received mention at the recent Group of Eight/Group of 20 summits for allegedly not following a code of ethics when it came to labour or the environment.

This arose over purported unfair treatment and unsafe working environment at Vale's nickel mines in Sudbury, Ontario, resulting in a strike by over 3,500.

The global campaign against Vale is fronted by trade unions, such as the International Metalworkers Federation, International Federation of Chemical, Energy and Mine General Workers Union and the United Steelworkers.

Against this background, the case of Vale Inco's Goro nickel refinery in New Caledonia (1,500km off the coast of eastern Australia) becomes an example I wouldn't want to see repeated.

The refinery, much like the proposed one in Lumut, disposes of its liquid waste material through a pipeline into a lagoon near a Unesco World Heritage site.

In April last year, there was a serious sulphuric acid spillage caused by a pipeline joint rupture in an extremely sensitive environmental area.

The long-term effects of the spillage are unknown. Vale redesigned its acid plant safety immediately after, but this is something which never should have happened in the first place if the company cared about the impact of the refinery on its surroundings and on the people who depend on marine resources for their livelihood. We need to note that fishermen in Lumut depend on the sea.

Considering that a large portion of the fishing industry of Perak comes from the Lumut area and that having the plant could jeopardise the livelihood of residents and possibly cause environmental damage and health problems, it is not a good idea to allow Vale to build a plant in Lumut.

Read more: Environment: Rethink plan for iron ore plant http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/19enr/Article/#ixzz18kqLe7Qp

TG HJ HADI & DS NIZAR : MAAL HIJRAH PERAK

1 Muharam 1432
Markas Pasir Panjang, Sitiawan, Perak.

SAMBUTAN MAAL HIJRAH PERINGKAT NEGERI PERAK BERSAMA PRESIDEN

ZAMBRY LALAI & PANGKOR TERBENGKALAI

Pakatan Rakyat perintah Perak dibawah Hj Nizar sebagai Menteri Besar, wang rizab sebanyak RM774.57 juta berjaya dikumpul untuk simpanan masa depan negeri dengan pentadbirn yang bersih dan cekap tanpa menaikkan sebarang cukai yang membebankan rakyat

Zambry pulak dalam masa setahun setengah lebih kurang, dah bentangkan 2 bajet dengan defisit RM103.89juta sebelum ni dan katanya hari ni akan bentang satu lagi bajet defisit sebanyak RM29juta lagi. Jumlah defisit RM131 juta untuk tempoh tak sampai setahun setengah.

Ada 7 projek terbengkalai dengan kos keseluruhan berjumlah RM17.32juta termasuk 5 projek denan kos RM5juta di dalam kawasan Dun Pangkor yang Zambry sendiri jadi wakil rakyat.

Nama Projek Jumlah Kos terlibat/RM

1.Resort Tepi Buki, Teluk Batik 2,430,000.00

2.Dewan Serba guna Padang Bandaran Kuala Kangsar 10,000,000.00

3.Pangkor Height Villa 790,000.00

4.Dewan serba guna Teluk Gong, Pangkor 260,000.00

5.Restoran Terapung Teluk Gong, Pangkor 1,900,000.00

6.Restoran Terapung Teluk Dalam, Pangkor 1,560,000.00

7.Korporat Villa Jenis B 380,000.00

Jumlah Kos RM17.32 juta

Maklumat lanjut di DAP Perak bongkar wang kerajaan Negeri Perak kurang RM85 juta dalam satu tahun, rakyat berhak tuntut kisah benar

‏

SAVE TELUK RUBIAH : NELAYAN BANGKIT VS ZAMBRY

FISHERMEN UP IN ARMS OVER VALE PROJECT

LUMUT, Perak Dec 2: Some 2,500 fishermen and their families are up in arms against a proposed iron ore pelletising plant by giant Brazilian mining group, Vale, in Teluk Rubiah, Manjung.

Vale reportedly will invest RM467 million in Teluk Rubiah to create a distribution centre consisting a pelletising plant to convert raw iron ore into pellets for use in steel production. Teluk Rubiah will be Vale’s main base to export to the Far East, especially China .

“The original plan was for the Vale plant to be located in the existing Kampung Acheh industrial area. So why change the location of Vale’s iron ore plant to Teluk Rubiah which is a holiday resort and jeopardise our environment and also our livelihoods,” asks a fisherman whose family has been living here for 40 years.

“The government must seriously rethink this project. The entire fishing industry which makes up this area’s main income, will be affected, from shrimp farmers to restaurant owners and exporters. We call on the government to turun padang and hold discussions with us. Please don’t jeopardise our rice bowls and then leave us to fend for ourselves,” he said.

“The iron ore plant will create pollution and this will have a really bad effect on fishing. How will we feed our families, send our children to school and pay bills if we can’t fish any more?” chimed in a fellow fisherman.

“We are very worried about our families’ health as the smog and unclean air will cause serious health problems. We can’t understand why the iron ore plant has to be in Teluk Rubiah when Perak has so much industrial land for a plant like Vale’s.

Because of pollution and smog, we can’t even switch to the tourism industry. This pollution will definitely affect the water quality and aquatic life. The tourism industry in Lumut and Pangkor will be destroyed and even more livelihoods will be affected. Which tourist wants to visit an industrial site?” he asked.

These fishermen are also concerned about the effluent discharge by the iron ore plant.

The fisheries industry in Perak is worth nearly RM900 million annually with a large proportion contributed from the Manjung area. Two thirds of this amount come from marine fisheries and some RM5 million is exported to Singapore.

Known for its idyllic beaches, aquamarine waters, hills and casuarina trees, the Manjung area has also clusters of hotels, restaurants, fish and shrimp breeders and hatcheries.

“If the government says the Vale factory is not harmful, we invite you to come and live with us. Even the price of our property will go down,” said a Manjung resident. “We are so worried.”

“Meanwhile, what has become of the second environmental studies after the first one has been rejected?” she asked.

She was referring to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report which was submitted to the Perak state government last year before a second environmental assessment was commissioned earlier this year.

According to official sources, the second EIA report has yet to be submitted to the Majlis Perbandaran Manjung.

Fishermen and residents in the area are in the dark and have not received any briefing from current Perak state government led by Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir who is also state assemblyman for Pangkor.

A retired politician cautioned against ignoring the rakyat in an issue such as this. “Turning a deaf ear and alienating the people does not augur well at time when the general elections are expected to be just around the corner. The Perak state government is holding on to power through defections on a razor-thin majority having previously toppled the PKR government. It will do well to heed the cries of its citizens,” he said.

Source : TnT Private Eye

SAHABAT ALAM vs KERAJAAN HARAM - SAVE TELUK RUBIAH!

Dokumen dari Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) cawangan Ipoh, Perak. Sehingga hari ini tiada jawapan kepada persoalan SAM kepada Jabatan Kerajaan, hanya pengesahan yang dimaklumkan. Di mana bantahan yang telah dilakukan sebelum ini pada tahun lepas lagi, tiada laporan bantahan itu dimaklumkan kepada awam. Apa langkah dan landasan kerajaan meneruskan projek langgar hukum alam ini? DS Zambry tolak kepada jabatan berkenaan bagi maklumbalas sebagai 'play safe'!

Jika hujah SAM tidak dipandang oleh kerajaan, apatahlagi orang awam, tiada didahulukan rakyat. Kelentong sana sini?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! KLIK gambar di bawah untuk lebih jelas.

SAVE TELUK RUBIAH vs DISKRIMINASI MPM

Banner SAVE TELUK RUBIAH - http://facebook.dj/selamatkannyawarubiah

Banner Sahabat kita, proTeSTeR (Team Save Teluk Rubiah) hanya mampu bertahan 1 hari sahaja, MPM tak tahan melihatnya kerana menggugat kepentingannya. Jelas diskriminasi berlaku jika dilihat banner yang ada sekitar Manjung, ada yang makan bertahun-tahun malah berdiri teguh bersama tiang seri yang ditaja. Roll down untuk dapatkan gambaran jelas. Hmmmmmm.......?!?!?!?!

DISKRIMINASI

Pelbagai banner bersilihganti sejak dari 'TAKAN MELAYU HILANG DI DUNIA', 'MENANG SORAK TANAH TERGADAI', 'SI KITOL'lah dan macam-macam slogan berhasutan perkauman yang tiada logo kelulusan MPM masih berdiri teguh tanpa tergugat dek kerana bendera keris bogelnya, sedangkan kuaters MPM termasuk dalam taman itu. Sayangnya, pekerja MPM di situ buta kare........hmmmm. Yang bestnya, siap ada tiang sendiri, mungkin Zambry yg ancak kan, tu yg bertahan ke hari ini.

Tiang yang sentiasa menyerikan simpang ke pusat-pusat pelancongan, tiada sebarang halangan untuk BeNak meletakkan tiang-tiang yg cukup sinonim dengan Tiang Seri Zambry untuk di'ancak'kan bersama mandremnya. No hal lah! Janji BeNak bayar cukai tiang di bawah meja sudah cukup membutakan MPM.

WELL DONE MPM!! Great Job!

*Namewee pesan: MPM balik tidoooo....!!!!!
Note : MPM itu adalah Majlis Perbandaran Manjung.