There will likely be no end to the environmental issues plaguing Pasir Gudang, Johor, if the authorities fail to draw up proactive measures to curtail the dumping of toxic wastes by factories located in the area.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) environmental expert Dr Mohd Yusoff Ishak says such incidents would continue to occur if drastic steps, such as the creation of a buffer zone and tightening the limit on waste emissions, are not taken immediately.
Just three months after the Sungai Kim Kim incident where toxic fumes from illegally-dumped chemical waste affected some 6,000 residents in Pasir Gudang, schools and education centres in the area were ordered closed on June 23
after about 75 schoolchildren fell ill due to suspected air pollution.
To date, the source of the air pollution has yet to be identified.
Mohd Yusoff says the second incident did not come as a surprise in view of the fact that Pasir Gudang is packed with factories handling chemicals that are potentially hazardous. What is more, housing areas have also been developing rapidly in the area.
“It is like a time bomb that can explode anytime,” he says.
Logistics constraints and shortage of technical expertise are hampering the Department of Environment’s (DOE)
efforts to carry out comprehensive monitoring. This has led to failure in taking the necessary preventive action and delay in identifying the culprits responsible for the pollution.
This was proven when the Johor government announced that during an operation conducted by DOE, starting June 20, action was taken against 38 chemical factories for offences under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
“This clearly shows that many factories there are flouting the law. (Due to various constraints) DOE is taking the self-regulation approach in the hope that the factory operators will follow the necessary SOP when handling chemical waste.
“However, some of the operators have their own devious methods of covering up their illegal ways so as to escape prosecution,” he adds.
He also says that all details related to the import of chemicals, such as the names of the supplier, distributor and buyer, as well as end-users of the chemical products, must be shared with DOE to make it easier for the department to carry out its monitoring activities.
Mohd Yusoff has suggested that a special fund be set up for the purpose of carrying out preventive, conservation and rehabilitation activities, with the factory operators there contributing to the fund via a profits-based tax.
Fines collected from errant factories for flouting environmental laws can also be channelled to this fund, he says, adding that the fund can also be used to pay out compensation to the victims.
Mohd Yusoff also proposes a special court for environment-related cases to speed up their hearing.
There was a suggestion for such a court four years ago, he says, adding that in Sabah, a special court for environment cases has been operational since 2015.
He welcomes the government’s decision to set up automated pollutant monitoring stations in Pasir Gudang and he hopes that they would be equipped with sophisticated technology to not only identify air, soil and water pollution but also zero in on the polluters themselves. – Bernama
