There is grave concern that the Murum hydro dam whose construction is about to begin may not have been thoroughly studied in terms of its impact to the environment and people of Sarawak.

The RM3 billion dam generating 944MW - which would be the Hornbill state's third dam - according to a social activist See Chee How may have many concerns unaddressed since the approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was never made public.

An EIA is required whenever a dam, artificial lake or reservoir with a surface level exceeding 50 hectares is up for approval by the National Resources and Environment Board (NREB). This is to safeguard the environment from any detrimental affectations in the construction and operation of the new development.

However Natural Resources Environment Ordinance of Sarawak does not require for the EIA to be made public for general scrutiny, according to See, a native customary land rights (NCLR) lawyer and opposition politician.

This is inconsistent with the federal Environmental Quality Act (EQA).

A senior academic with a public university in Kuching - who asked for anonymity - told Malaysiakini that in this case it could well be a ‘stitched up job' with the project proponent colluding with the appointed EIA consultants - in order to get the approval of out of the way.

"The way things run, it is as if Sarawak is still living in the dark ages, in the age of tribalism," the academic quipped sardonically at the EIA process there. Elsewhere aggrieved parties have the opportunity to scrutinize and comment before final approval.

Independent EIA would have been good

Last Thursday the state cabinet chose China Three Gorges Hydro Project Corporation (CTGPC) for the Murum dam job. The dam is located above the RM5 billion 2,400MW Bakun hydro dam in central Sarawak. Sources inform that the agreement will be signed in September, with commencing immediately and completing in 2013.

See - the state PKR liaison committee member - had apprehensions for the four indigenous communities in the Murum area.

"It is not entirely an area uninhabited by people."

The PKR man says he would have been far happier if the EIA was prepared by independent EIA consultants, preferably a foreign firm. He pointed out that the Asian Development Bank had a list of approved EIA consultants suitable for this purpose.

See related about the failed attempt by natives to stop the Bakun dam. They then contended that the government and Ekran Berhad - the project principle - had not done an EIA report nor submitted it to the relevant authorities before commencing.

The High Court which heard the case agreed that an EIA was necessary, however the Court of Appeal reversed the decision. The three sitting judges concurred that land matters in Sarawak were a state prerogative and the federal EQA does not extend to Sarawak which has its own set of legislature governing the issue - namely the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance.

Last week a senior state minister Michael Manyin said a EIA report was required by the NREB if the dam project was to be approved.