Environment Dept usually mistaken for DOE: Head
Published on: Friday, April 29, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: The Environment Protection Department (EPD) of Sabah is different from Department of Environment (DOE) which is a Federal agency tasked with the administration and enforcement of the Environment Quality Act 1974.EPD's main function in Sabah is to administer and enforce the Environment Protection Enactment 2002 and should not be regarded as "the bad guys by industrial players especially in the oil and gas sector".At the recent Sabah Oil & Gas Leadership Conference here, EPD Director Datuk Yabi Yangkat presented a talk entitled "Mitigating Environment Impacts of Major Projects in Sabah".ADVERTISEMENT In 2014, there was a huge Petronas gas pipeline explosion in Sarawak which ripped apart a portion of the RM3 billion Sabah to Sarawak interstate gas pipeline between Lawas town and Long Sukang in the northernmost district of Sarawak at 2am. It resulted in the evacuation of nearby villagers.That accident is a reminder of how such oil and gas industrial disaster could affect people and the environment, and when personnel of environmental protection agencies were strict and harsh in their duties, it was for the sake of public and environmental safety.This was supposed to be the era of "never again," the refrain often heard following a major tanker spill, refinery explosion, or pipeline leak.There has even been, from time to time, talk of making this industry "inherently safe," which now seems like a dream. ADVERTISEMENT This was supposed to be the era of no more leaky ships, no more oil refinery smog, no more worker deaths and injuries, no more well blow-outs, and no more underground tank farm plumes or gas station oil seepage into groundwater or beneath neighbouring communities. The BP Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico was truly a tragedy that could also happen here.
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But it should provide an opportunity "to take a closer and more comprehensive look at the full and continuing costs that the oil and gas industry continues to impose on society with 24/7 pollution, environmental degradation, habitat destruction, wildlife loss, worker and community endangerment, health effects consequences, and loss of life."Worldwide, the oil and gas industry accounted for hundreds of deaths, explosions, fires, seeps, and spills as well as habitat and wildlife destruction. These disasters demonstrate that the BP incident is not merely an accident but an industry pattern that places profit ahead of communities, local economies, and the environment.The cost of clean-up efforts, ecological impact and loss of equipment, could add millions – or even billions of ringgit – to the cost of any major oil and gas accident disaster. Hence prevention is better as safety is emphasised from the beginning.Under the Environment Protection Enactment, environment in Sabah includes the external physical surroundings and conditions influencing development and growth of people, animals or plants and includes social, living or working conditions; all natural and physical resources; ecosystem and their constituent parts including people and communities; and amenity, aesthetic and cultural values.Producing energy to power the modern global economy is a dirty and dangerous business.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Drilling for oil several miles below the surface of the sea involves staggering engineering challenges.EPD's environment management includes regional environment planning, establishment of protected areas, environmental enforcement and monitoring, environment communication and awareness, environmental impact assessment (EIA) system etc are to prevent man-made disasters from happening in Sabah.