Government Sunday relaxed the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) regulation on projects conducted in reclaimed land.
According to the amendment, firms are no longer required to submit EIAs on six types of projects carried out in reclaimed land.
The most significant regulation change is the clause which states that if a project is conducted within three years of land reclamation, an EIA would not be mandatory unless the project entails the use of industrial chemicals.
If the reclaimed area is not linked to pre-existing land, then firms would be exempt from an EIA for a period of five years.
The regulation also exempts EIA on drilling of boreholes on land to locate water.
Despite the lax on regulation, firms are required to submit a written document agreeing to take any measures to minimize the impact on the environment resulting from a project if needed.
