Stricter enforcement efforts to curb illegal chemical disposal activities - CICM

KUALA LUMPUR: There should be stricter law enforcement efforts to deter illegal activities and irresponsible actions by companies in the handling of chemical and its waste disposal, according to the Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia (CICM).

In a statement yesterday, CICM said that what was also required was a more co-ordinated approach between the relevant authorities from both federal and state levels to protect the land, water and air resources.

“Sustainable measures must be identified and implemented to reduce the negative impact of manufacturing and handling of chemicals to humans and the environment.

“Therefore, CICM calls for the expansion, access and improvement of professional waste management facilities throughout the country to ensure that the cost of waste disposal is not prohibitively high and to curb illegal waste dumping,” it said.

In addition, the council also stated that there should also be adequate and accessible waste management facilities to cater to the growth of the manufacturing industry.

“We also urge the innovative use of communication technology by providing online public reporting applications and transparency in actions taken by authorities on social media,” it said.

The statement was issued in response to the recent water pollution incident in Sungai Selangor which was caused by chemicals from Taman Velox industrial area in Rawang that led to the closure of water treatment plants and the disruption of water supply to more than one million consumers.

Meanwhile, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) said it had reported the influx of foamy and reddish effluent into its sewage treatment plant at Taman Velox on Nov 4 to the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), as well as to the Selangor Department of Environment and the Selayang Municipal Council on the same day.

It also said that the plant was temporarily shut down to prevent further pollution.

“On Nov 5, SPAN and IWK carried out patrol and investigations which found that two nearby premises had allegedly released cosmetic-oriented white liquid and also red liquid believed to be used in colour paper printing,” it said in a statement.

The sewerage company said its plant in Taman Velox was also detected to have received illegal inflow of green waste water yesterday.

“IWK has immediately transferred the green waste water using tanker lorries to its other plants for off-site treatment,” it added.

-- BERNAMA