KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Xinhua) -- MyHSR Corporation, the Malaysian company tasked with carrying out the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (KL-SG HSR) project, said on Wednesday that the Department of Environment (DOE) has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the project, paving the way for further implementation.
The final EIA report submitted to the DOE consolidated the feedback from all stakeholders, including the public, government agencies, and the DOE, MyHSR said in a statement.
The report, which looks to identify, predict, and evaluate the impact on the environment brought about by the KL-SG HSR project, concludes that the KL-SG HSR project will have several short-term environmental concerns, but the long-term benefits on commuter safety and carbon emissions provide a "strong justification" for the project.
For instance, the report cited an annual ridership of some 15.2 million in 2030 and 37.8 million in 2060, which could translate into fuel and carbon dioxide emission savings.
The report also identifies and proposes mitigating measures to manage these impacts during the construction and operations stages such as air, water and noise impacts, soil erosion and sedimentation.
"The EIA report approval marks a significant development that paves the way forward for the KL-SG HSR project. We have developed the necessary measures to address and minimize the potential impacts throughout the life-cycle of the project, which consist of pre-construction, during construction, and operations," said MyHSR Corp's chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal in the statement.
