SESSION 4: Spatial Planning and EIA Law Case Study: Bakun ...

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017.

STRENGTHENINGCAPACITYFORENVIRONMENTALLAWINTHEASIA-PACIFIC:DEVELOPINGENVIRONMENTAL

CHAMPIONSSiemReap,Cambodia,27November– 1December2017

SESSION4:SpatialPlanningandEIALawCaseStudy:BakunDam,Malaysia

PresentedbyAmandaKennedy1


TheBakunDam,Sarawak,EastMalaysiaPurposeofthiscasestudy- toexamine:

- applicationofEIAlaws- conflictsbetweenfederalandstatejurisdiction- publicparticipationandrightsofIndigenouspeoples- thedevelopmentvsconservationdilemma- goodgovernance/corruption

Materialstobestudied:- backgroundinformation– seehttp://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/bakun-dam- KajingTubekvEkranBhd case(HighCourt&CourtofAppealdecisions)-

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TheBakunDam

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BakunDamProject• TheconstructionoftheRM15billiondamisthemostexpensiveprivatized

projectinMalaysiatodate• 207metreshighand300metreswide,floodinganareaof700sqkm,

BakunisthelargesthydroelectricdamprojectinSoutheastAsiaandthesecondtallestdamintheworld

• 10,000Indigenouspeoplesfromvariousethnicgroupswillbeuprootedfromtheirancestrallands

• Projectwasproposedin1970s,shelvedin1990s• 1994:awardofprojecttoSarawaktimbertycoon’scompany,Ekran

Berhad;althoughneitherhenorhiscompanyhadbuiltadambefore• Singledam,generating2400MW,costRM13.6Billion• IntendedtosupplypowertomainlandMalaysiaviaunderseacables

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Controversies• EIAswerebrokeninto4parts(reservoir,dam,transmissionlines,undersea

cable)sothateachcomponentcouldbeseparatelyapproved• First3partswerenotreleasedtothepublic(FebtoApril1995)• FinallyreleasedinMay1995- CritiqueofBakunEIAbyIRN:

- failedtoexplainwhythedamwasneeded- failedtoadequatelyconsiderthe‘nodam’alternatives,othersourcesofenergy- didnotevaluatelongtermimpacts,orinteractionsbetweendifferentimpactsegeffectofwaterqualityonfisheries- didnotadequatelyestimatelifespanofproject- technicalworriesre:cablesthatdeliverpowertomainland– howlongthesewilllast,howmuchtheycost,howmuchpowerwillbelosttravellingthroughthecableetc.

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KajingTubek v. EkranBhd&Ors [1996]HighCourt• June1995:ActionsuingEkranBerhad,DirectorGeneralofEnvironmental

QualityandGovt.ofMalaysia,claimingbreachofthe1974EnvironmentalQualityAct(EQA)inthattheEIAswerenotmadeavailabletothepublicandtheywerethusdeprivedofopportunitytocommentontheproposal

• Federallaws- EQAs34AandEnvironmentalQuality(PrescribedActivities)(EIA)Order1987requiredEIAforlargedamprojects

• SarawakNaturalResourcesOrdinance1949requiredEIAtobesubmittedtoSarawakNaturalResourceBoardforreview

• 1994Sarawakstategovt.passedNaturalResources&Environment(PrescribedActivities)Orderlistingdamprojectsasprescribedactivities

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Kajing Tubek v. Ekran Bhd &Ors [1996]HighCourt(cont’d)

• 27March1995– Ministerde-prescribedlistofactivitiesrequiringEIAsfromEQAinrelationtotheStateofSarawak,gazettedon20April1995

• 5July1995– SarawakOrderenacted- theprescribedactivitiesunderEQAshallnotapplytoSarawak;toberetrospectiveasfrom1st September1994

• Defendantsarguedinteralia:the3plaintiffshadnolocusstandiastheyhadnotsufferedanyspecificordirectdamagewhichwasdifferentfromothermembersofthepublic

• HeldbyHighCourt (JamesFoongJ)(1)UndertheGuidelines,publicparticipationretheEIAwasmandatory,thuscommentingbythepublicwasaright;(2)plaintiffshadlocusstandiasdestructionoftheforestswoulduprootandimmenselyaffecttheirlives;AmendmentOrderforSarawakwasinvalid

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RelocationofIndigenousPeoples• ManySarawakIndigenoustribeshavebeenrelocatedtoa

longhousesettlement– SungaiAsapinBakun– Mostofthemweresubsistencefarmers;eachfamilywaspromised3

acresoflandbutmanyfamiliesstillhavenotbeencompensated

• BasiccommunityproblemsfacedbydisplacedIndigenouspeoples,suchasthelackoflandareasforfarmingandhunting,lackofeducational,medical,andtransportfacilities

• Watersarecontaminatedbyindustrialactivitiesnearby• Watersalsodamagedbyrottingtimberandvegetationthat

fellintothewaterswithdestructionoftheprimaryforests

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DecisionofCourtofAppeal• DeputyPMAnwarIbrahimstatedthatthepreliminaryworkonBakuncangoonas

planned,despitetheHighCourt’sdecision,asthecourtrulingwasontechnicalprocedures;ithadnotdirectedthatworkbestopped.DecisionwhethertostopworkorproceedlieswithEkran.

• Onappeal:18Feb1997– CourtofAppealheld:StateofSarawakhadexclusivejurisdictionoveritslands,Sarawakhaditsownenvironmentallaws;FederalConstitutionplaceslandasasubjectundertheStateslist

– SincetheprojectrelatedtolandandriverwithinSarawak,itwastheSarawaklawandnotFederalEQAthatapplied

• Plaintiffsonlyhadthresholdlocusstandi,butnotsubstantivelocusstandi,notrepresentativeincharacter(thiswasnotaclassaction),theyhadsufferednospecialinjury

• HighCourthadfailedtoconsiderthepublicandnationalinterestsinvolved• Coststobebornebybothparties,asIndigenouspeoplewereconsidered

tobe“confused”bythelaws

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SuspensionandRevivalofProject• 1997projectsuspended– economiccrisis;Malaysiangovernmenttookback

theprojectandpaidbetweenRM700million– 1.1billionin‘compensation’toEkran

• March2001– MalaysianFinanceMinisterannouncesthattheDamwillproceed,onthesamescale,withacapacityof2,400megawattsbutwithoutcableslinkingittothemainlandpeninsula

• ScalingdownofcostsfromRM13.5billiontoRM9billion;fundingtobetappedfrominternationalsources

• ThedamwouldsupplyelectricitytoSarawak,Sabah,BruneiandpossiblyKalimantaninIndonesia

• Meanwhile– critiquebySwissactivistBrunoManser(forthePenan,anIndigenoustribe);seerepliesfromMalaysianPMDrMahathir“ThePenandTheSaw”;ManserdisappearedinFeb2000andwaslaterdeclareddead

• Plansforbiomassremovalinthefloodbasin– thishowevernevercametofruition

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Evaluation• TheDamhasbeenoperatingsince2011• Damhas8turbines,eachgenerating300megawattsofpowerbutreportssayonly

6unitsinoperation,eachgeneratinghalfload(150mgw)=900megawatts• Therearereportsitisunsafe,ascontractorsadmittedcuttingcorners,mixed

cementwithwater,poorqualitycontrol,lackofinspections• TheDam’sreservoirsubmergedsome700squarekilometresoffarmlandand

forests;initsfirstfewyearsofoperationithasexperiencedhighnitrogenloading• Chemicalrunofffromnearbypalmoilplantationshasdepositedsedimentinthe

reservoir,corrodingfouroftheturbinesinstalledandcausingnearbysoilandvegetationerosion

• Sarawakhasannounceditwillbebuilding12newdams• ResettledIndigenouspeoplestillstrugglingtomakealiving;variouslawsuitshave

beenfiledtoupholdtheirrights• TransparencyInternationalincludesBakunDaminits'Monumentsof

Corruption'GlobalCorruptionReport

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Indigenousperspectives• ThefollowingYouTubedocumentaryhighlightssomeofthe

IndigenousperspectivesontheBakunDamdevelopment:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTomULpa4uQ

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Questions• Whatlessonscanbelearntfromthiscasestudy?

– Shoulddamprojectsbeundertaken?Ifso,howbestshouldtheyberegulated?Whatsafeguardsshouldtherebe?

– HavetherightsofIndigenouspeoplesbeenviolatedinthiscase?Whatrightsdotheyhave?

– Howcanthelawspromotebettergovernance?Whatlawswouldyoucraft?

– Giveargumentsfor/againsttheDam– representing(a)thegovernment(b)thetribes(c)conservationgroups

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References• ChanWingCheong“EnvironmentalProtectioninMalaysia–

LessonsfromtheBakunHydroelectricprojectlitigation”[1998]• http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/bakun-dam• http://www.cleanbiz.asia/news/sarawaks-bakun-raises-

development-corruption-questions• Sevensinsofdambuilding

http://www.wwf.eu/?207987/7-sins-of-dams• ToDamorNottoDam?

http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/2045.pdf

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SESSION 4: Spatial Planning and EIA Law Case Study: Bakun ...

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