GEORGE TOWN, April 26 — Reclamation work to create the first artificial island in the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project is expected to start in the third quarter of this year, state Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

He said the Department of Environment (DoE) in Putrajaya has already approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the three islands under the PSR.

"The approval was received officially in a letter dated April 11,” he said.

He said the approval is subject to compliance of 71 conditions, including the implementation of a social impact management plan and PSR ecology offset master plan.

"With the EIA approval, the state government, through the project delivery partner, is now in the process of applying for approval for the environmental management plan from DoE Penang,” he said.

He said the environmental management plan (EMP) will outline the state’s plans on how it will comply with the 71 conditions imposed for the approval of the EIA.

Chow said the state will not start reclamation works before obtaining the necessary approvals.

"Reclamation works are expected to start in the third quarter of this year after we obtain approval for the EMP,” he said.

He said the approved EIA report will be uploaded on to the Penang Infrastructure Corporation website for public viewing.

He said the EIA approval is for all three islands of the PSR, also known as Penang South Islands (PSI).

"We will start with reclamation works for Island A first, which will feature a green tech park,” he said.

The PSI project is a massive reclamation project to create three islands, measuring a total 4,500 acres (1,821 hectares), off the southern coast of Penang island.

Island A will measure about 2,300 acres (930 ha).