THE Government has angered environmentalists by granting a two-year extension for the mining of a Lamma Island quarry which was due to close at the end of the year.
The Civil Engineering Department granted the new contract despite being halfway through a costly rehabilitation study to be implemented on the quarry's closure.
It has also granted approval for the construction of a massive casting basin to be used to make concrete tubes for the Chek Lap Kok airport rail link.
Now the inter-departmental study team will have to re-evaluate the rehabilitation programme to take into account the effects of the basin and two more years of quarrying.
Lisa Hopkinson, of Friends of the Earth, said the new quarry contract would have severe environmental implications and made a mockery of government procedure.
''Continued quarrying will cause more nuisance from noise and dust and continued mining will eat into the ridge,'' she said.
''Why commission a study into what to do with the quarry and then make a decision before it's finished? ''It appears that they have granted the extension to fund the rehabilitation study. The quarry company makes money, the Government gets its royalties and it has more time to come up with a plan on what to do with it.'' She said an assurance was needed from the Government that no further extension would be granted.