SERIAN: The Sarawak Department of Environment (DOE) has taken action against 47 motorists for excessive black smoke emissions from their vehicles this year.
Sarawak DOE chief assistant director (Operations) Mohamad Zaihan Lek said that joint operations with the Road Transport Department (RTD) and Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (TIED) have been conducted since January to inspect diesel-powered vehicles.
“These operations aim to ensure that vehicles comply with the 50 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) limit, as mandated by the Environmental Quality (Control of Emission from Diesel Engines) Regulations 1996.
“From January to today, 287 vehicles were inspected, leading to the issuance of 47 compounds,” he said during the state-level nationwide operation ‘Ops Gerak’ in conjunction with the World Ozone Day at the RTD Enforcement Station, KM59.5, Jalan Pan Borneo today (Nov 13).
In addition to vehicle inspections, the Sarawak DOE also conducts checks at business premises to prevent the use of prohibited refrigerants, as outlined in the Environmental Quality (Refrigerant Management) Regulations 2020.
Refrigerant testing was carried out using Refrigerant Identifier (RI) equipment to ensure compliance with regulations.
“The regulations strictly prohibit the release, transfer, and improper disposal of refrigerants,” he said.
The ‘Ops Gerak’ operation involved a collaborative effort between the Sarawak DOE, RTD, TIED, Immigration Department, Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), and National Anti-Drug Agency (NADA).
