KUANTAN: There are no plans to stop bauxite mining as it is a lucrative source of income for many people here.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said low-income earners, such as lorry drivers, could earn up to RM8,000 a month by transporting bauxite from mines to collection points.
“The money is to feed their children and give them proper education.
“There are hundreds of them (lorry drivers).
“Because of this, I cannot stop the operations,” he said in a recent interview with the New Straits Times at Wisma Sri Pahang.
For months, certain areas in the district, particularly Bukit Goh, have suffered serious air pollution from bauxite dust and residue released by the processing plants or leaked during transportation to Kuantan Port.
In August, the NST published a series of articles highlighting the issue of environmental deterioration and toxic contamination of water from bauxite residue in Sungai Pengorak, some distance away from the town centre.
Independent laboratory tests, commissioned by the NST, had shown that the water samples contained high levels of heavy metals and traces of radioactive elements, which are hazardous to humans.
Adnan said similar tests done by the state Department of Environment and Health showed the levels were within permissible limits.
“I have to believe the authorities’ findings more.”
He said the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), which took water, earth and bauxite samples in the first week of August, had yet to produce its findings on radiation levels.
Adnan said as far as bauxite pollution was concerned, the problem was exacerbated by transport contractors, who refused to hose down their lorries, before leaving mining sites.
He said such attitude was driven by greed to earn more money from subsequent trips between the sites and port.
“I would like to suggest that lorries, which have been booked for offences related to bauxite operations, be denied from having their road tax renewed.”
There was also the issue of lack of manpower at the Road Transport Department, Public Land Transport Commission and police to carry out effective enforcement, he added.
Adnan did not rule out the possibility that the Federal Government would ban the export of bauxite if the operators continued to flout the law and worsen pollution.
On another matter, he said the state government would earn RM24 million a month when a new rate on bauxite production was imposed from January in light of the booming mineral business.
The revised rate will see RM8 for every one tonne of bauxite instead of the present rate of RM4.
“I understand that three million metric tonnes of bauxite are produced every month here.
“We have to charge them more as it is a lucrative business.”
In August, it was reported that
the state government collected RM37 million from bauxite production for this year.
Adnan said the state government had been denied the opportunity of optimising its revenue from bauxite mining as operators had been found to manipulate the numbers when submitting records of their production.
He said there had been discrepancy when production numbers were compared with those submitted to the Customs Department, state Land and Mines Office (PTG) and Kuantan Port Consortium (KPC) Sdn Bhd.
“It seems that the operators give one set of figures to the Customs, a different set to PTG and another set to KPC.”
Adnan said he would call for a meeting with the three groups to look into the matter.