KUALA LUMPUR – A palm oil processing factory along Sg Semenyih was identified as the potential source of pollution in the river today that led to the four-hour operations suspension at the nearby water treatment facility there.
State Tourism, Environment, Green Technology, and Orang Asli Affairs Standing Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian in a press conference this afternoon said the water supply to consumers was not affected as the plant’s operations were halted for less than four hours.
He said the Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) and the Environment Department officials had detected the water pollution at about 10.15am this morning, leading to the closure of the plant until 12.45pm.
Hee said the treatment of water at the plant fully resumed at 1.45pm.
“The smell of solvent was detected near a static bridge in Bukit Unggul (in Sepang), it could have easily been four tonnes of pollution but this was reduced to zero tonnes within a few hours.”
He added that the source of the pollution was traced after officials detected the smell of solvent in the vicinity of the palm oil factory.
Water samples have been sent to the Chemistry Department to confirm whether the factory was the source of the pollution.
The Petaling Jaya Selatan assemblyman, when asked, said it was not the first time that the factory was identified as the culprit.
“We believe that the solvent could have come from a sump that is underground and possibly leaking.
“Luas will be filing a police report and conducting its own investigations, and we will look into the right provisions in the law to take action.”
Hee also said the offence may fall under Section 79(1) Luas Enactment 1999, in which the owner of the premises could face a minimum fine of RM200,000, and a maximum of RM1 million, and imprisonment for no more than three years.
He added that the authorities were also looking into the possibility of relocating the factory, which has been operating there for some 30 years. – The Vibes, June 23, 2022
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