ES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Proposed Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

1. This report presents the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study that was carried out to assess the potential environmental impacts that could arise from the Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur. Hereinafter it will be known as the “Project”.

2. The EIA is a requirement under Section 34A of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 as the proposed Project is under Item 17 – Industrial Estate Development of the First Schedule of the Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order 2015.

3. The Project Proponent and the correspondence address is as below:

East Coast Economic Region Development Council Level 22, Menara 3 PETRONAS, City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : +603-2035 0000 Fax : +603-2035 0020 Email : [email protected]

Contact person: Ir. Mamman K.T. George Position: General Manager, Project Implementation II

4. The consultant undertaking this EIA is:

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd. 9, Jalan USJ 21/6, 47630 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Tel : +603-8024 2287 Fax : +603-8024 2320 Email : [email protected]

Contact person: Mr. Khoo Boon Keat

5. The Project is sited on Lots 49652, 49654, 49655 and 49656 with an area of 461.76 ha at Gambang, . The Project site is accessible either from the East Coast Expressway (E8) or from Jalan Kuantan-Gambang (FR2) (Figure ES-1). The Project site is located about 30 km from Kuantan.

ERE Consulting Group ES-1 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

STATEMENT OF NEED

6. The East Coast Economic Region (ECER) Master Plan was formulated to identify high-impact projects that will spur development of the region until the year 2020. In this Master Plan, it has been identified that a technology park would be established within the ECER with the specific focus to promote and enhance the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in this region.

7. Over the past four decades, the Government has been developing the Malaysian ICT industry, by financial investment as well as strategic Government focus. With the vision of achieving a knowledge economy status, Malaysia is transforming itself from an agriculture-based economy to an industrial-based economy, with ICT being one of the key enablers of this transformation. This has been reflected in the Sixth Malaysia Plan (1990- 1995), Seventh Malaysia Plan (1996-2000), Eighth Malaysia Plan (2001- 2005), Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010), Tenth Malaysia Plan (2011-2015) and 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020).

8. The sustained support and initiative from the Government has led to accelerated growth in the ICT industry, where as a whole, stood at RM 96.5 billion in 2012, and is expected to have Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.1% between 2013 to 2020, mainly in telecommunication services. The proposed Pahang Technology Park in Gambang will be centered on key global IT industry megatrends that will define the ICT sector for years to come.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Project Concept

9. The Project shall be a focal point for innovation, and a physical site place that supports university-industry and government collaboration with the intent of creating high technology economic development and advancing knowledge.

10. The Project offers a number of shared resources, such as incubators, programs and collaboration activities, uninterruptible power supply, telecommunication hubs, reception and security, management offices, restaurants, bank offices, convention center, internal transportation with parking facilities, entertainment and sports facilities.

ERE Consulting Group ES-2 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

11. The development of the entire Project shall be of mixed used to include facilities for:

 Clean Industry  Innovation facilities – labs, incubators, etc.  Academic institutions  Training facilities  Business facilities  Residential facilities  Living amenities  Lifestyle amenities

12. The industries hosted by this park shall be clean and technology based industries and data centers, without the typical emission of smoke from stacks, wastewater discharges or generation of toxic/ scheduled wastes.

13. The development of the Project has been divided into three phases, commencing with the nucleus zone (Phase 1A and Phase 1B), and subsequently Phases 2 and 3. The preliminary design has been carried out for the components within Nucleus Zone only (Chart ES-1).

Chart ES-1 Overall Layout Concept

Phase 1B Main Service Center (Lot 49654)

Phase 2 (Future Development) Phase 1A Local Service Local Service Center Center (Lot 49655) (Lot 49652) Phase 3 (Future Development) Main Service Center (Lot 49656)

Source: PAG Consult Sdn. Bhd. (2015)

ERE Consulting Group ES-3 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Project Components

14. The core of the technology park will be driven by ICT. The Project consists of enterprise/ industrial, mixed used/ commercial, residential, amenities, utilities, gold course, open space, water bodies and road reserve/ parking.

15. The Project is dominated by enterprise/ industrial (133.55 ha), followed by open space (77.41 ha), road reserve/ parking (73.14 ha) and mixed used/ commercial (66.41 ha).

16. The industrial area has been earmarked for light industry where the types of industries such as light manufacturing facilities for Electrical and Electronic devices like nano-electronics, flexible electronics, Internet of Things (IOT) devices and such which are considered clean. The platform as well as the infrastructure and public amenities for the industrial area will be prepared and sold to the investors.

17. The mixed used/ commercial areas comprise education/ learning and development centers, government one-stop support centers, secondary business support services centers, administration buildings, etc.

18. The Project has reserved 41 ha for amenities and utilities which includes community facilities, water tank, sewage treatment plants, power stations, sport complex, police station, clinics, etc.

19. A total area of 100 ha has been retained for the conservation of existing rivers and lakes as well as open spaces. The lake will serve as retention ponds as well as recreational green areas and provide higher land and aesthetic value to the Project site.

20. A golf course and club house have been proposed under the Phase 2 development, next to the residential areas providing a good aesthetic view to the residents. About 28 ha has been allotted as residential areas to be developed during Phase 2 and Phase 3.

21. The development of the Project has been divided into three phases, commencing with the Nucleus Zone (Phases 1A and 1B), and subsequently Phases 2 and 3 (the two extended plots - Lots 49655 and 49656).

22. Presently, preliminary design has been carried out for the components within Nucleus Zone only, while the design for Phases 2 and 3 will only be carried out at later stage. Therefore, this EIA will focus mainly on the activities in the Nucleus Zone.

ERE Consulting Group ES-4 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Design Considerations

23. The existing ground level ranges from 30 m to 100 m with a lower elevation at the river basin on Lot 49655 and Lot 49656. The preliminary earthworks design was carried out based on the following criteria:

 Gradient to suit the needs for roads, sewerage, water supply and drainage design  Economic considerations for building foundations  Flood levels  Natural terrain

24. The site covers a slope gradient ranging from flat areas (<10°) to steep slope (25° – 35°). More than 99% of the site is on Class I (<15°) slope, with less than 2 ha (0.4%) on Class II slope and about 0.9 ha (0.2%) of the site are under Class III (25° – 35°) slope, which is located at the hilly areas on Lot 49652. The buildings of the Project have been sited within Class I and II areas, which is deemed suitable for development.

Supporting Infrastructure and Utilities

25. The drainage system includes one retention pond for Phase 1A and two retention ponds for Phase 1B.

26. Two sewage treatment plants (STPs) (with the design capacity of 15,000 P.E. and 40,000 P.E. respectively) and two pumping stations will be constructed for the nucleus zone (Phase 1A) and northern zone (Phase 1B). The sewerage reticulation, pump house and STP will be independent and designed to cater for the demands of each phase only.

27. Two elevated water tanks will be constructed during Phase 1A and Phase 1B. The water demand for Phase 1A is 3.0 ML per day while the demand for Phase 1B is 7.5 ML per day. The water supply system for Phase 2 and Phase 3 will be constructed in stages to cater for each development phase.

28. A PPU will be constructed at Phase 1A and a PMU will be constructed at Phase 1B to supply electricity for the respective phases to cater for the electricity demand of 19 MVA and 58 MVA.

29. The telecommunication infrastructure provided will be the interactive multimedia services, advances telephony and data services and High Speed Broadband services based on 4-G (or higher when available) mobile technology.

ERE Consulting Group ES-5 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

30. The proposed internal road will connect to the existing Persiaran Bandar Gambang. A bridge across the East Coast Expressway will be constructed to connect the Phases 1A and 1B of the Project site.

Principal Project Activities

Pre-Construction Phase

31. The pre-construction phase activities would include preliminary studies for the Project design, preparation and surveying, soil investigation studies and sampling of river water, air and noise and relocation of utilities; all of which have very minimal impacts.

Construction Phase

32. The main construction activities include site clearing and earthworks, construction of building and infrastructures, construction of access bridge and mobilisation and the establishment of the site office, maintenance yard and workers camp.

33. The site clearing will be carried out in phases following the development phasing. At present, most of the foliage in the Phases 1B, 2 and 3 have been cleared due possibly to recent slash and burn acitivity. The densest trees and vegetation is found in Phase 1A area. The total estimated volume of biomass generated will be 33,650 tonnes.

34. The earthwork will be carried out by phases following the development plan with the total cut is estimated to be 6.18 million m3 and fill 5.59 million m3, with a surplus cut of around 0.59 million m3 for Phases 1A and 1B. The excess earth will be stockpiled for development of Phases 2 and 3.

35. The design and layout of the individual buildings in the Project site has not been carried out yet, but in general, the construction of the facility will involve the erection of the building, installation of mechanical and electrical components as well as ancillary infrastructure.

36. The major activities during the construction of buildings are concreting and piling works. The building and infrastructure construction will be carried out according to the development phasing. The construction waste generated will be disposed of at the - Sanitary Landfill, located about 40 km from the Project site.

37. A dual carriageway bridge that has a length of 300 m and 11.4 m width will be constructed across East Coast Expressway as an access link from Phase 1A to Phase 1B.

ERE Consulting Group ES-6 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

38. One stockpile area and maintenance yard will be established within the Project site for each phase where the building materials and fuel will be stockpiled and emergency repairs of construction vehicles and machinery will be carried out. A site office and workers camp will also be established to house most of the workers.

Operational Phase

39. During the operational phase, the Project will function as a technology park which includes some residential and commercial areas.

40. The industries will only be established during Phases 2 and 3 while the industrial lots in Phase 1A are earmarked for data centers or Research and Development (R&D) only. Some of the industrial lots in Phase 1B shall be open to clean industries with little or no air emissions or wastewater discharges.

41. The actual buffer requirement is dependent on the industry and activities proposed. The industrial lots facing the mixed used/ commercial area in Phase 1B is only separated by the road and has a buffer of 60 m. For industries requiring buffer greater than 60 m, they will mostly have to be sited in the northern area of Phase 1B. For Electrical and Electronic industries, a buffer of 100 m is required.

42. Two STPs proposed for Phases 1A and 1B will be discharging a total of 0.11 m3/day and 0.40 m3/day of treated effluent into Sg. Belat and Sg. Pandan respectively. The discharge quality shall comply with Standard A in accordance to the Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations 2009.

43. The development of the Project is expected to increase the traffic in the immediate neighbourhood as well as the routes leading to the Project site.

44. The solid waste generation upon the full completion of the Project is estimated to be about 2,900 m3/day. The solid waste generated will be collected by the solid waste management concenssionaire and possibly be disposed of at the existing Jabur-Jerangau Sanitary Landfill.

Project Implementation Schedule

45. The overall development of Project will be in three phases from 2014 – 2035 with Phase 1A starts from 2015 and Phase 3 completed in 2035.

ERE Consulting Group ES-7 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

46. Site clearance and earthworks have commenced on some parts of Lot 49652, as ECERDC have sought for an early commencement of earthworks and was approved by Majlis Perbandaran Kuantan (MPK) on 30 December 2014 (letter ref (57)dlm.MPK/J/C:T/5-08 Jld. 6). Temporary soil erosion and sediment control measures have been designed and implemented on site.

PROJECT OPTIONS

No Project Option

47. In the event that the “No Project Option” is adopted, there would be a loss in the opportunity to establish a technology park within the ECER to promote and enhance the development of ICT in this region which also means the loss of employment and investment as well as jobs and opportunities related to the development of a small township.

48. The “No Project Option” will not be in line with the development plan that has been identified in the ECER Master Plan, and possibly hamper the growth and development of socio-economy and infrastructure of this area that has been envisaged for this area and district.

49. Therefore choosing not to develop the Project could potentially result in a loss of the vast benefits that can be expected from the establishment of an ICT hub.

ERE Consulting Group ES-8 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Layout Options

Phase 1

Option 1 Option 2 Preferred Option

Layout Plan

 Commercial plots  Commercial lots area  Commercial lot areas adjacent to the lake are larger and more are larger and more were smaller and optimised. optimised. oddly shaped.  Plots were designed to  Plots were designed to  Plots were designed to follow the existing follow the existing follow the existing terrain. terrain. Lot Size terrain.  ECERDC commercial  lot adjacent to the lake is sandwiched between main road embankment and the lake.  STP was sited at a  STP is located at a  STP is located at a higher platform, lower level enabling lower level enabling resulting in higher better infrastructure better infrastructure Utilities infrastructure cost. design and hidden design and hidden from public view. from public view.  There are more areas reserved for utilities.  Road network was  Road network was  Road network was designed to follow the designed to follow the designed to follow the existing terrain. existing terrain. existing terrain. Road Network  Design adheres to  Weaving lane into the  Design adheres to JKR road standards. main road does not JKR road standards. conform to by JKR road standards.  Existing pond reduced  It utilises existing pond  It utilises existing pond in size for more land to as a retention pond as a retention pond be development. retaining its original retaining its original  There is no public size. size. access to the lake.  There is limited public  It has better public access to the lake. access to the Green recreational park Area/ around the lake. Pond  The lake promenade near the main road can be used a space for public events, parking and small retail for sales gallery.

ERE Consulting Group ES-9 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Phases 1B, 2 and 3

Option 1 Option 2 Preferred Option

Layout Plan Legend: Legend:

Road network Road network

Commercial lots Commercial lots  There are three  There are three  The commercial, separate commercial separate commercial residential and areas. areas. industrial areas as well  The distribution of the  The distribution of the as the utilities follow commercial and commercial and the site’s contour. Lot Size industrial lots utilise industrial lots utilise  The industrial areas the site’s contour. the site’s contour. have been designed to  This option has a provide sufficient larger lots connected buffer zone to the to a more flowing road residential areas. network.  The distribution of the  The distribution of the  The preferred option road network utilise road network utilise has a better the site’s contour. the site’s contour. connectivity  There is only one road  There is only one road throughout the whole connecting the east connecting the east northern zone. and west of the site. and west of the site.  There are two roads connecting the east Road and west of the site Network which will significantly reduce the traffic congestion especially during the peak hours.  The road networks follow the site’s contour.  There are five linear  There is an inter-  The preferred option parks along the river connected system of generally provides corridors. linear river corridor more green spaces,  This option is parks. as they have been environmental friendly  Although this Option reserved to become Parks/ where there will be has a larger river linear parks for Pond less development reserve along Sg. recreational purposes. around the river Belat, but it reserves reserve and provides less linear river more green spaces. corridor parks compared to Option 1 of northern zone.

ERE Consulting Group ES-10 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EXISTING ENVIRONMENT

50. The summary of the existing environment of the Project site is described in the table below:

Item Description Topography The Project site is situated on undeveloped land which is hilly and and Terrain undulating. The existing ground levels range between 30 m to 100 m. There are hills next to the Project site at the north and west of the Project site with the peaks ranging from 336 m to 453 m. Majority of the Project site is flat area (<10° ‒ 15°) with a small portion (0.9 ha) under steep slope.

Geology The Project site is underlain by intrusive rock.

Soil The Project site is mainly falls under bungor-durian soil with the remaining fall under mined land and steepland. The soil investigations show that the subsoil within Phase 1A is generally made of granite residual with localised presence of alluvium deposits within the top layer.

Land use The Project site consists of forested areas as highlighted in the (Current) Pengubahan Rancangan Tempatan Daerah (RTD) Kuantan 2010 – 2015. The site comprises four lots: Lots 49656, 49655, 49654 and part of Lot 49652. There are several natural water bodies in the interior of Lots 49656, 49655 and 49652.

The north of the Project site is the agricultural with oil palm plantations and Berkelah Forest Reserve. A secondary forest which is under the Berkelah Forest Reserve is at the east of the Project site. Immediately south of the Project site is the Pahang Halal Food Complex and Universiti Pahang Malaysia and its hostels as well as several industrial lots. Kolej Matrikulasi Pahang and Centre for Foundation Studies International Islamic Univeristy Malaysia were located 2.5 km and 3.0 km west of the Project site respectively. Immediately west of the Project site (Lot 49656) is secondary forest under the Berkelah Forest Reserve.

Land use The Project site has been gazetted as an Industrial Area in the (Future) Pengubahan RTD Kuantan 2010 – 2015.

Climate  mean annual temperature of 26.5°C.  average annual rainfall of 2,992.6 mm.  24 hour mean relative humidity ranges from 83.4% to 88.9% from 1975 to 2014.  Predominant wind directions are from north followed by southwest, south and northeast with 19% of the time as calm period.

ERE Consulting Group ES-11 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Item Description Hydrology The Project site falls within two watersheds, Sg. Belat and Sg. Pandan catchments. Most of the Project site falls within the Sg. Belat catchment which is a sub-catchment of Sg. Kuantan catchment. Sg. Belat has two main tributaries originating from Berkelah Forest Reserve, which is Sg. Tulang and Sg. Kemela Kiri. Sg. Belat.

The northeastern section (part of Phase 1B) of the Project site falls into Sg. Pandan catchment where one of the headwaters of Sg. Pandan starts from the Project site and flows eastwards before joining the main river body. Sg. Pandan is also one of the tributaries of Sg. Kuantan. A raw water intake point is located approximately 24 km downstream of the Project site at Sg. Pandan river mouth which supplies raw water to Bukit Ubi Water Treament Plant.

Flood No flooding was observed on Sg. Belat within the immediate vicinity of the Project site as it is located in the upper catchment area. JPS records show closest flood prone area in Gambang is at the crossing of MEC Highway and Jalan Gambang. However, flooding occurrenced in December 2014 at Kg. Seri Damai, which is located approximately 8.5 km downstream of the Project site. Kg. Seri Damai was highlighted as flood prone area in the Pengubahan RTD Kuantan 2010 – 2015.

Ecology The Project site was formerly part of the Berkelah Forest Reserve, a Class II Production Forest where timber extraction was carried out. The Berkelah Forest Reserve consists of a mixture of pristine lower hill dipterocarp forests and different aged post-harvest forests. The pristine forests comprise mostly meranti (Shorea sp.) and keruing (Dipterocarpus sp.) trees, as well as bertam palm (Eugeisonna tristis) and thorny palm trees (Oncosperma horridum), while post-harvest forests may have a mixture of pristine and secondary forest species.

A substantial area of the Project site was observed to be severely degraded as a result of forest fires. The vegetation cover and composition of the Project site is described as follows:

(a) Lot 49652 – This lot comprises mostly old-growth secondary forests that is still connected to the Berkelah Forest Reserve patch. Tall stands of mahang (Macaranga gigantea, M. Hullettii), sentang (Azadirachta excelsa) and Acacia mangium trees were observed at forest fringes, while the forest floor consists mostly of resam ferns (Dicranopteris linearis) and roadside ferns (D. curranii). It is possible that older dipterocarp trees can be found in the forest, although they were not directly observed.

(b) Lot 49654 – In July 2014, most of the vegetation cover in this lot was observed to have been destroyed as a result of forest fires. In February 2015, small juvenile stands of Acacia mangium and mahang trees were observed to have been established, with shrubs made up of Praxelis (Praxelis clematidea) and Rattleweed (Crotalaria retusa).

(c) Lot 49655 – Similar to Lot 49654, most of the vegetation cover was observed to have been destroyed by forest fires. As with the previous lot, the present vegetation cover consists of small shrub patches and small, juvenile stands of Acacia mangium and mahang trees.

ERE Consulting Group ES-12 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Item Description

(d) Lot 49656 – A substantial part of the vegetation cover in this lot had been cleared by forest fires. During the second site visit, it was observed that the vegetation cover in the interiors of this lot were in the stages of early succession. The vegetation cover consists of thick shrub covers that is mostly comprised resam and roadside ferns, as well as Sendudok/ Straits Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum).

Several fauna/ footprints/ vocal calls were observed/ heard during the site visits. The fauna at the site are Wild boar (Sus scoria), Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), Dusky leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) and Oriental whip snake (Ahaetulla prasina). These fauna mainly falls under the ‘Protected’ under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 except for Malayan tapir which is under the ‘Totally Protected’ species.

Several fish species were caught by the local people at the numerous man-made lakes within the Project site such as Patung (Pristolepis fasciatus), Sebarau (Hampala macrolepidota), Haruan (Ophicephalus striatus) and Keli (Clarias sp.). These fish species are common species that occur throughout and are not considered to be threatened or endangered.

Although only a few wildlife species were observed in the Project site, these species can give a preliminary understanding that a small part of the Project site, specifically Lot 49652, can still be considered to have high habitat quality that supports the occurrence of these animal populations.

River Water Water quality monitoring was taken at 8 stations from the upstream and Quality downstream of Project site.

Results of the monitoring are summarised as follows: (a) Stations W1 to W3 (Upstream of Project Site, Sg. Belat) The results indicate that the water quality were within the Class IIB except for copper, nickel and iron. High copper and nickel levels could be due to the natural existence from the rocks weathering and other natural processes such as humic materials

(b) Station W4 (Downstream of Project Site, Sg. Pandan) The results indicate that the water quality was within Class IIB of NWQS except for copper, nickel and iron.

(c) Stations W5 to W7 (Downstream of Project Site, Sg. Belat) The results indicate that the water quality was within Class IIB except for copper and nickel.

(d) Station W8 (Phase 1A Boundary, Sg. Belat) The results indicate that the water quality was within Class IIB of NWQS except for copper and nickel.

ERE Consulting Group ES-13 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Item Description Ambient Air Ambient air quality monitoring was carried out at two locations for TSP, Quality SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5 and CO.

Results show that ambient air quality is well within the MAAQG and 3 3 MAAQS. TSP readings ranged from 51 µg/m to 56 µg/m . SO2 and NO2 were detected to be less than 0.001 ppm. PM10 readings were detected 3 3 3 from 45 µg/m to 46 µg/m . PM2.5 readings were ranged from 29 µg/m to 38 µg/m3. CO reading were ranged from 2.4 ppm to 2.5 ppm.

Ambient Environmental noise level monitoring was conducted at two locations. Noise Level The recorded day time and night time noise levels were found to be exceeding the permissible sound levels for low density residential category. The noise generated mainly from the moving vehicles and animals within the Project site.

Traffic The Project site is accessible via either East Coast Expressway or Jalan Kuantan-Gambang then through to MEC Highway and Persiaran Bandar Gambang. The road capacity analysis revealed that all the roads surrounding the Project site is under their capacity with a LOS A.

Socio- There are no inhabitants within the site nor are there physical structures or Economy residential property within the area. The total population in Mukim Kuala Kuantan was 337,754 in 2010. The ethnic makeup is mainly Malay with 71.6% of the population follow by Chinese (20.7%), Indian (3.6%) and others (4.1%).

The employment of local communities is mostly private sector workers and government servants. Only several residents owned businesses and work in the agricultural industry.

The nearest settlements from the Project site are Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Sekolah Sukan Malaysia Pahang, Kolej Matrikulasi Pahang, Kg. Seri Fajar and Taman Rakyat Gambang. These settlements are located south of the Project site within 1-3 km from the Project site. About 10 Orang Asli houses (Kg. Orang Asli Sg. Belat) was found at the north of the Project site during the site visit. However, the Orang Asli settlement area is not designated as these Orang Asli have been relocated to and Kg. Batu Empat Belas, Kuantan.

IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

51. The potential significant impacts, mitigation measures and residual impacts during the pre-construction, construction and operational phases are summarised in Table ES-1.

ERE Consulting Group ES-14 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

52. The framework provides the basic mechanism for environmental management by proposing a monitoring plan. A detailed environmental management plan will be drawn up before the construction phase begins.

53. An environmental monitoring programme has been proposed with five water quality sampling points, two air quality and noise levels sampling points as well as at the discharge points from the silt traps with selected parameters.

CONCLUSION

54. The EIA concludes that the benefits from the establishment of the Project far outweigh the negative impacts. With the proper implementation of the mitigation measures, the environmental impacts highlighted in this EIA can be greatly minimised.

55. This conclusion has been based on the following considerations:

 The establishment of the Project will spur the development of ICT in the east coast region.

 The establishment of the Project will bring significant positive socio- economic impacts surrounding the Project site by generating new and greater business opportunities, which will lead to redressing poverty levels, reducing unemployment and promoting in-migration by providing new job opportunities.

 The adverse environmental impacts generated during the construction and operational stage can be largely mitigated through proper design and best management practices.

ERE Consulting Group ES-15 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Table ES-1 Summary of Potential Significant Impacts, Mitigation Measures and Residual Impacts for the Project

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact Pre-Construction Phase Project Planning and  Minimal insignificant impacts No mitigation measures recommended. No residual impact is Site Investigation anticipated. a) Scoping the site for existing infrastructure b) Site reconnaissance c) Soil investigation d) Surrounding land use survey e) Baseline environmental sampling Construction Phase  Site Clearing and Soil erosion and sedimentation:  Planning and phasing of site clearing and earthworks. No residual impact is Earthworks  Temporary slope protection with plastic sheets/ mulching. anticipated.  High potential soil erosion  Silt traps, temporary drainage with check dams, temporary  Sediment discharge into Sg. Belat earth bund to capture sediment. and Sg. Pandan  Turfing to be carried out at areas where construction work has been completed.  Compaction of completed platform that are not turfed.  Implementation of Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (ESCP).

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-16 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Site Clearing and Flooding:  Existing ponds will be retained as temporary detention No residual impact is Earthworks ponds, which will control and reduce additional runoff. anticipated. (Cont’d)  Extra runoff from clearing of land and other changes in land use may cause flooding downstream Air Pollution:  Hoarding shall be erected around the areas where Dust generation due earthworks are being carried out. to earthworks and  Generation of fugitive dust from  A wheel-washing bay shall be constructed at all access general construction earthworks and exit point of the Project site. activities, especially movement of earth  All vehicles carrying material leaving the Project site shall moving vehicles and be covered with a plastic tarpaulin. dump trucks to and  The operation of water browsers to be carried out on-site. from the site.  All vehicles are only allowed to be travelling along the Site at 15 km/h. Noise:  Noisy construction activities are recommended to be Noise emission from conducted during day time only. rotary machines, piling  Increment of noise level due to  Maintenance of construction equipment and installation of works and movement earthworks silencers, sound insulators or acoustic dampeners for of construction related noisy construction equipment. vehicles to and from the site and within the site. Biomass:  The tree trunk and leaves will be cut to smaller pieces and No residual impact is shredded on site, composted and disposed of at areas anticipated.  Biomass generation from site approved by the local authorities. clearing

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-17 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Site Clearing and Ecology:  Site clearing and earthworks shall be planned in a manner No residual impact is Earthworks which allows for wildlife to retreat or move into other anticipated. (Cont’d)  Habitat disturbance and habitats away from the Project site and adjacent fragmentation residential and commercial areas.  Human-wildlife conflicts  Warning signs and wildlife fences are recommended to be established along East Coast Expressway.  The Project Proponent shall collaborate with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) in the capture and relocation of wildlife in the event of wildlife encroachment/ disturbance in the Project site or worker’s encampment.  Poaching of wildlife is strictly prohibited. Socio Impacts:  Hoarding shall be erected at the work area fronting the Visual and landscape roads especially next to the Halal Park. impacts caused by  Employment opportunities could earthworks. be provided by this Project for the local population  Aesthetic value of the existing physical environment may deteriorate

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-18 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Mobilisation and Water Quality:  Used oil and grease from construction vehicles and No residual impact is Establishment of machineries shall be collected and managed as scheduled anticipated. Site Office,  Oil and grease pollution may occur waste. Maintenance Yard from machinery used in  Diesel drums or skid tank will be placed within a and Workers construction containment wall with a capacity to contain the worst Camp  Discharge of untreated sewage spillage condition, or 110% of the capacity of the largest water cause pollution container.  Proper toilets shall be installed at the site offices, and discharges from these toilets will be treated in septic tanks to at least Standard B, in accordance to the Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulation 2009, under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 before being allowed to flow out of the site.  Regular desludging of the tanks will be carried out by the Contractor, at least once every 12 months to ensure the continual effectiveness of the septic tanks. Domestic, Construction and Scheduled  Waste bins shall be sufficiently provided at the site office, No residual impact is Wastes: workers camp and maintenance yard area. anticipated.  The disposal of waste in the communal bin shall be  Domestic solid waste is mostly carried out by waste contractor and disposed of at the generated from the site office may existing Jabur-Jerangau Sanitary Landfill. be unsightly, create health and  Burning of solid waste is strictly prohibited at the Site. hygiene problems to the  Management and disposal of the scheduled waste will be surrounding areas carried out in accordance to the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005.

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-19 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Mobilisation and Ecology:  Poaching of wildlife is strictly prohibited. No residual impact is Establishment of  Proper housekeeping in the worker’s encampment to anticipated. Site Office,  Human-wildlife conflicts minimise attracting wild boars and macaques to rubbish Maintenance Yard and waste material. and Workers Camp (Cont’d) Social Impact:  Hoarding shall be erected at the work area fronting the No residual impact is roads especially next to the Halal Park. anticipated.  Aesthetic value of the existing  Proper housekeeping especially at the stockpile areas, physical environment may maintenance yard and workers camp shall be practiced at deteriorate because of workers’ all times. camp  Sufficient waste bins shall be provided at the workers  Improper discharge of sewage and camp. disposal solid waste by the  Ensure that all foreign workers have the necessary work workers affect the health and well- permits and undergone their medical check-ups before being of the local community starting work on site.  Illegally recruited foreign workers without proper medical check-up can expose the local community with communicable and sexually transmitted diseases  Construction of Ecology:  Warning signs and wildlife fences is recommended to be No residual impact is Access Bridge established along the East Coast Expressway. anticipated.  Human-wildlife conflicts

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-20 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Construction of Construction Traffic:  Prepare traffic management plan for road diversions at the No residual impact is Access Bridge East Coast Expressway for the construction of the link anticipated. (Cont’d)  Temporary lane closure along the bridge. East Coast Expressway at the affected sections  Construction of Air Quality:  Hoarding shall be erected around the areas where Dust generation due building and earthworks are being carried out. to construction infrastructure  The building occupants and  The operation of water browsers to be carried out on-site. activities, especially movement of earth residents of the Nucleus Zone will be subjected to dust during the moving vehicles and earthworks of the completed dump trucks to and Phases of this development during from the site. earthworks activities at the neighbouring plots Noise:  Noisy construction activities are recommended to be Noise emission from conducted during day time only. rotary machines, piling  Noise generation from concrete  Maintenance of construction equipment and installation of works and movement mixing, piling, unloading silencers, sound insulators or acoustic dampeners for of construction related operations of construction noisy construction equipment. vehicles to and from materials and truck movements the site and within the site.

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-21 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Construction of Construction and Scheduled Wastes:  Waste bins shall be sufficiently provided on site. No residual impact is Building and  Construction waste shall be transported out of the Project anticipated. Infrastructure  Domestic solid waste is mostly site and disposed of at the existing Jabur-Jerangau (Cont’d) generated from the site office may Sanitary Landfill. be unsightly, create health and  The construction waste generated from each building hygiene problems to the complex to be stored within designated area with proper surrounding areas containment such as bins.  The burning of such waste is strictly prohibited. Construction Traffic:  Limit the number of entry/ exit points for each phase to Traffic safety two or three. problems to the local  Vehicles going to the construction  Erection of adequate warning signs along the main roads population from the site will access via Persiaran prior to entry/ exit point to the Project site. increased movement of heavy vehicles. Bandar Gambang, travelling past  Reduce the speed of construction vehicles traveling along the UMP, student hostels and then the roads to 15 km/h, especially along Persiaran Bandar the Halal Park which are all Gambang. located along the road  Provide extra lane for traffic flow, using the existing emergency lane.

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-22 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Construction of Social Impact:  Proper housekeeping especially at the stockpile areas, No residual impact is Building and maintenance yard and workers camp shall be practiced at anticipated. Infrastructure  Temporary employments are all times. (Cont’d) expected during construction  Sufficient waste bins shall be provided at the site.  Some positive economic benefits would include increase in demand of basic necessities such as food items or other services within the vicinity of the Project site  Improper discharge of sewage and disposal solid waste by the workers affect the health and well- being of the local community  Illegally recruited foreign workers without proper medical check-up can expose the local community with communicable and sexually transmitted diseases Operation Phase  Operation of Flooding:  The detention ponds will be designed to cater for a 100- No residual impact is Industries year storm and will not significantly increase the risk of anticipated.  Higher runoff rate from increase in flooding to the downstream of Sg. Belat. paved areas may cause flooding downstream, especially at flood prone areas

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-23 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Operation of Noise:  Proper plant planning to prevent noise and low-noise plant No residual impact is Industries (Cont’d) design. anticipated.  Noise generation by process  Isolating the source of noise. equipment, machinery, on site  Regular equipment and machinery maintenance. transportation, generators, motors, pumps, etc. Waste Management:  Proper scheduled wastes management and disposal in No residual impact is accordance the procedures outlined in the Environmental anticipated. Industrial Waste: Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulation 2005.  Scheduled waste generated from  Domestic waste will be collected by Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd. electrical and electronic and taken for disposal at the Jabur-Jerangau Sanitary components contaminated with Landfill, located about 40 km from the Project site. heavy metal (SW110), wastes contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polychlorinated triphenyls (PCT), SW318

Domestic Waste:

Improper disposal domestic waste from industry, residential and commercial areas will generate health issue with the proliferation of vectors and pollution to nearby watercourses

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-24 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Operation of Ecology:  Project Proponent shall collaborate with PERHILITAN in No residual impact is Industries (Cont’d) the capture and relocation of wildlife in the event of wildlife anticipated.  Human-wildlife conflicts encroachment/ disturbance.  Poaching of wildlife is strictly prohibited. Socio-Economy: No mitigation measures recommended.  Significant im- migration that will  Accelerate the development of enhance the Gambang and surrounding area social landscape as well as improve  Generate significant number of the economy of jobs and business opportunities for Gambang and the local population surrounding region.  Change in the socio-economic landscape which may lead to a high cost of living in the area.  Sewage Water Quality:  Proper maintenance by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) No residual impact is Discharge after the STPs have been handed over to them after the anticipated.  River water pollution of Sg. Belat testing and commissioning. and Sg. Pandan may occur if the  Preventive maintenance will be scheduled regularly, sewage is not properly treated repairs will be done promptly. prior to discharge

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-25 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 Proposed Pahang Technology Park, Gambang, Pahang Darul Makmur Environmental Impact Assessment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity Potential Significant Impact Mitigation Measures Residual Impact  Vehicular Traffic Traffic Impact All roads are able to operate at acceptable level of service. Increase in traffic in the roads surrounding  Additional traffic generated from the Project area. the Project  Growth of existing traffic from other committed development

Abandonment  Abandonment of  Create adverse socio-economic Abandonment plan  The objective of the Project. impacts establishment of a  Create unaesthetic repercussions  Site office and workers camp has to be demolished. Technology Park to cater for the  Create a suitable habitat for  Construction waste and domestic waste shall be East Coast would harbouring pests and disease transported out from the site and disposed of at the proper be unfulfilled. vectors landfill.  A temporary loss  Create potential site for indulgency  All exposed slopes shall be turfed immediately to prevent in land utilisation in anti-social behavior any soil erosion. and economic returns from investment made in the proposed development.

ERE Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd ES-26 Issue 1.0/ October 2015 N

0 2km 4km

KUANTAN

PROJECT SOUTH CHINA SITE SEA

GAMBANG

Source : Google Map

Figure ES-1 Location of the Project Site

EJ 552\Drawings\EIS\Fig ES-1.cdr