The State will impose an Environmental Audit for all development projects that require the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) starting next month.
“Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) has conducted several trainings sessions for environmental audits and so far there is sufficient numbers of Environmental Auditors to conduct environmental audits,” said Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Sarawak, YB Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh.
“Such efforts will ensure that after the EIA, the companies will continue to protect and conserve the environment,” he said during the opening ceremony of the Seminar on Environmental Conservation for Sustainability 2017 on October 31st at Kuching.
Also present during the opening ceremony of the seminar were Chairman of Malaysia Institute of Chemistry (IKM) Sarawak Branch, Dr Alvin Chai Lian Kuet and Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) Controller of Environmental Quality Sarawak, Peter Sawal.
According to YB Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh, the audit is an additional measure apart from EIA system to ensure all those procedures, and guidelines are being followed.
“This Environmental Audit is one step to make sure that they are in compliance with those requirements,” he said.
Through the implementation of the EIA system, all the development projects specify under the NRE (prescribed Activities) order, 1997 will be able to minimize many adverse impacts to the environment.
