KUALA LUMPUR – Companies found guilty of water pollution should be made to pay for losses incurred by parties impacted by supply disruptions, said a think-tank, urging for the law to be amended towards this end.
Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia president S. Piarapakaran said the maximum penalty of RM500,000 under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (EQA) and the bill for river clean-up are measly compared to the actual cost of pollution incidents.
An amendment to the law – which is among the group’s proposals submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office and cabinet last month to address Selangor’s long-standing water woes – is necessary to act as a deterrent, as well as to ensure aggrieved parties are fairly compensated, he told The Vibes today.
“At the moment, if, say, a company has to shut down for three days due to a water cut caused by pollution, there is no room for them to make claims unless they initiate a civil case against the perpetrator, which can be lengthy and costly.
“This is why we are asking for a new clause to be added under the EQA, to enable affected parties to claim for losses from the culprits.
“Even domestic consumers can be reimbursed, with the relevant water companies making the claims on their behalf.”
The act, once amended, will grant power to the Environment Department (DoE) to freeze wrongdoers’ assets, he said.
He expressed hope that the amendment will be tabled for debate when Parliament reconvenes next month.
Piarapakaran’s comments come after yet another supply disruption in Selangor, with four water treatment plants forced to halt operations yesterday following the detection of odour pollution in Sg Selangor, affecting more than a million households.
Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the government is looking at increasing the number of riverside reservoirs to “give us a second water source in case our rivers get polluted” – a proposal that has been panned by stakeholders – while Selangor environment exco Hee Loy Sian said the state will use drones to monitor rivers starting next month.
Chemical movement database
As a long-term solution, Piarapakaran proposed that the government set up a closed-loop database to monitor the movement of chemicals, particularly those with a high risk of causing pollution, in the country.
This will ensure things are on record, and allow the authorities to quickly identify the source of pollution.
“Every time a company buys chemicals, it will be recorded in the database. When they are looking to dispose (of the chemicals), they should transfer them to licensed waste-handling companies,” said Piarapakaran.
“So, in the event of illegal dumping, DoE will be able to narrow down the possible culprits by looking at the database, and determine whether (the chemicals) were sent to secured facilities. It speeds up efforts to catch polluters.”
The database will also allow DoE to conduct audits and set a time limit based on processing capacity to detect delays in waste handling, he said.
Malaysian Nature Society senior adviser Tan Sri Salleh Mohd Nor has said factories should be equipped with “tracers” so that the authorities can pinpoint pollution sources and take action. – The Vibes, October 20, 2020
