GEORGE TOWN – Various parties have urged Penang to probe into and review the performance of the present operator of the Pulau Burung landfill, following the recent massive burning at the site.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said the non-government organisation (NGO) is concerned over the fire which was still raging underground, causing air pollution to affect roughly 400 residents nearby.
The Pulau Burung landfill, she said, was intended to be upgraded, but SAM has yet to observe any improvement related to the landfill operations.
“In fact, it was reported by the media in December 2021 that the Seberang Prai City Council had sent a notice to the landfill concession company to start upgrading works at the landfill, with the company being ticked off for its poor maintenance.
“From the spate of problems encountered, the relevant authorities must conduct a thorough investigation,” she said in a statement today.
Meenakshi added that the NGO is also concerned that “incinerator peddlers” will start cajoling the state government to use their technology again.
SAM cautions the state government not to be taken in by the industry hype and propositions for incineration, gasification, pyrolysis and other incinerators in disguise, because scientific data has proven that the supposed benefits of these technologies are outweighed by the financial, health and environmental risks.
“Penang should be a front-runner in moving towards zero waste, with community-based approaches of waste prevention, plastic reduction, reusing, repairing, and composting of organic waste.
“Mandatory waste separation in the state must be strictly enforced via enabling infrastructure, good collection system, and safe recycling,” she said.
Meanwhile, Penang PAS committee chairman of agriculture and environment, Md Saiful Lizan Yusoff questioned whether the operator of the sanitary landfill had failed to provide a gas ventilation system to prevent the spread of harmful fumes from spreading into the air.
“Has the appointed operator complied with the sanitary landfill operating standards?
PAS calls for an immediate investigation, and the state government should be responsible for the failure of this sanitary landfill to operate safely for the safety and well-being of the people.”
Earlier, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow did not give a conclusive answer when asked about possible actions the government will take against the landfill operator.
He added that the government will present the incident report at an exco meeting on Wednesday before a decision is made on Syarikat PLB Terang Sdn Bhd.
“We could terminate the company’s contract, but waste management is a complicated matter.
The decision to terminate the contract cannot be made in a hurry. It requires proper planning,” he said when met by reporters here today.
Yesterday, The Vibes reported nearly half of the Seberang Prai Selatan district has been blanketed by a thick plume of smoke due to the landfill fire that began on Wednesday.
The thick smoke originating from the dumpsite can be clearly seen within a radius of 10km, which resulted in air pollution, following the hot weather spell that hit Penang recently. – The Vibes, January 17, 2022
