Remember the Save the Seahorse petition that I urged you all to sign not too long ago? Well, a very BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have responded to my call :)

I’m not sure if the petition had caused this, but I read in today’s papers that the Department of Environment has asked for a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a petrochemical project at the Sungai Pulai estuary in Pontian, Johor!

Johor wants detailed EIA done for project

By A. LETCHUMANAN

KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Environment has asked for a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a petrochemical project at the Sungai Pulai estuary in Pontian, Johor.

National Resources and Environment deputy minister Datuk S. Sothinathan said the request was made following reservations expressed by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

“The MB has proposed for a detailed EIA in view of the sensitivity of the project and the huge mangrove swamp,” he told reporters after handing over the ISO 9001:2000 certification to Forest Research Institute of Ma-laysia here last week.

Sothinathan said the company undertaking the project had al-ready submitted a comprehensive EIA, which had been vetted and approved by the DOE last month.

“But this is a new development and there has been a lot of public outcry and also from Ghani himself,” he said.

He said once the detailed EIA was completed, it would be displayed publicly so the public, non-governmental organisations and government agencies could raise any issues within the grace period.

“If there are any objections, then there would be an inquiry before the EIA is approved by the DOE,” he said.

The company is involved in setting up a petroleum-bunkering hub on a reclaimed 40ha island in the vicinity of the Sungai Pulai estuary.

- Source: The Star, Metro South & East, 21 August 2007

So what are you waiting for now??! Spread the words, and ask your friends to sign the petition if they haven’t done so because this is just the perfect time :)