Jelutong landfill undergoes RM1b rehabilitation
GEORGE TOWN, Feb 21 — The over 40-year-old Jelutong landfill will undergo a RM1 billion rehabilitation and redevelopment process with the signing of a joint development agreement between Penang Development Corporation and PLB Engineering Berhad (PLBEB) today.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said this will be the first landfill in the country to be rehabilitated and redeveloped.
“The company will hand over 25 per cent of the rehabilitated land to the state government and we will decide on how to use it then,” he said at the signing ceremony here.
He said additional land of between five to 10 acres will also be reclaimed on the periphery of the landfill to allow for a parameter wall, embankment for the working platform and works on the rehabilitation works.
“Thirty per cent of the additional land created will also be surrendered to the state,” he said.
The total size of the landfill covers 85 per cent and Chow said it would take about 15 years for the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the landfill.
He said PLBEB will also need to submit an application for an approval for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the Department of Environment.
“The company will need to obtain EIA approval first and this will take between nine months to one to two years,” he said.
He added that PLBEB will bear the full RM1 billion rehabilitation and redevelopment costs.
The Penang state government called for a request for proposal to rehabilitate and redevelop the landfill on March 12 in 2015 and PLBEB was appointed in 2017.
Chow said there were a lot of technical issues on the project with details to work out which caused a delay in the signing of the JDA for the project.
“PLBEB will still need to find an alternative site for construction waste and marine clay and the state will work with them to find a permanent site,” he said, adding that the site can also be used for recycling purposes as construction waste could be recycled.
For now, an interim site for construction waste was identified in Pulau Burung but it could only last for five years.
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