Group to rally against Batu Arang incinerator on Jan 21

Disappointed with the Selangor government for ignoring their calls to rescind a plan to build an incinerator plant in Batu Arang, the Rawang Tolak Incinerator Network (RTI) today announced another protest rally scheduled for Jan 21.

In a press conference today, the group also slammed Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and state exco member Ng Suee Lim for being unresponsive to their demands for a meeting to discuss the matter.

RTI spokesperson Abdul Hanan Abd Mokti said this would be the second mass rally they organise to attract the attention of the powers that be into listening to their objection.

"The protest will be held on Sunday, Jan 21 from 8am to 12 noon at the Bandar Tasik Puteri night market site.

"We are expecting a crowd of between 500 and 1,000 people, which are mainly the residents of Bandar Tasik Puteri and the surrounding areas like Kota Puteri, Batu Arang, Coalfields, Saujana, and M Residence, who will be the ones impacted by this incinerator project," he told the conference.

The group also expressed their wish to invite Amirudin and Ng to the rally, which Hanan said would be the best chance for them to have a dialogue where the state government can also explain their side of the story while hearing the residents' side at the same time.

Protest in Shah Alam

According to Hanan, RTI has tried to seek an appointment with the menteri besar for the past six months but has not received any response whatsoever.

He said the group plans to organise more rallies until the government listens to their plight.

They also do not rule out the possibility of taking their protests outside the Rawang area, including to the state capital Shah Alam.

"If push comes to shove, if we run out of alternatives, we will take our protests outside the Rawang area.

"It seems that (our complaints) have fallen on deaf areas. We may need to stand in front of them to show that we are objecting to this plan," he said.

Adding further, Hanan told reporters that RTI is also considering initiating legal action to stop the planned “Waste To Energy” (WTE) plant, should they run out of legal options.

This, said Hanan, is given the fact that the state government is moving towards granting the change of land status for the project site in Batu Arang, after which the co-developer of the plant YTL Power, will submit their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

"Once those two things are approved, there is no more legal recourse or legal barrier to stop them from building the incinerator, except if we take legal action," he added.

'Risk of collapse'

During the press conference, the group claimed that the plan to build an incinerator in Batu Arang will not only be detrimental to the people's health but also to their physical safety.

Hanan said the WTE plant operations will involve high temperatures and constant volume of vibration, which he claimed would have a geological impact on the Batu Arang area as it used to be a coal mining town.

According to information RTI received, he said that there were many mining tunnels dug below the Batu Arang area with a total length estimated to be about 52km.

"We also do not know exactly the locations of these 52km of tunnels. Some have been filled with water to stabilise the geology.

"But some are still left with remnants of coal and methane gas, which risks explosion and collapse of the whole structure of Batu Arang, as the township is very close to the incinerator site," he said.

RTI also reiterated their call for the state government to opt for more sustainable waste management methods, including waste separation and recycling.

Using an incinerator would generate fumes that are hazardous to health especially when the plant is situated near residential areas, the group said.

Among the health hazards they cited include cancer, causing birth defects, premature birth and fertility issues for both men and women.

Should the state government continue with its plan to build an incinerator, Hanan suggested that authorities utilise the existing landfill in Bukit Tagar, situated far away from human population.

"This incinerator they plan to build in Batu Arang will have the capacity to process 3,500 tonnes of waste a day, including 100 tonnes of scheduled wastes.

"It will receive municipal waste from six municipalities in the state.

"If this happens, then this area will become a waste hub for Selangor," Hanan added.

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