JOHOR BARU: The illegal dumping of scheduled chemical waste materials in Johor continues to be a major issue, allegedly driven by high disposal costs, lack of licensed facilities and insufficient enforcement.
Retired government officer Muhamad Munawir (not his real name) said despite regulations under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127) and the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005, illegal waste disposal remained a recurring problem in the state.
Businesses and industries must handle scheduled waste in compliance with these laws, but the high cost of proper disposal has led many to resort to illegal methods.
To dispose of scheduled chemical waste in Johor, factory operators spend hundreds of thousands of ringgit ferrying it to the nearest authorised scheduled chemical waste plant in Negri Sembilan.
The plant in Negri Sembilan is the authorised plant for scheduled chemical waste treatment for the southern region.
"The chemical waste will be treated in the plant before its disposal," the source said.
"Given these circumstances, especially the cost factor, these irresponsible operators would hire 'thugs with lorries' to dispose of them, usually into the rivers and secluded areas in the state.
"There had been numerous cases while I was in the office," the source said.
Mohammad said another issue was the lack of authorised and licensed treatment plants in the country.
His remark prompted the New Straits Times to check the Department of Environment's official website.
There are only two registered Authorised Automotive Treatment Facilities (AATF) listed by the agency, namely, in Semenyih and Shah Alam, both in Selangor.
Muhamad said it was possible that the information displayed on the website was not updated, but this showed a lack of efficiency.
"The lack of licensed treatment and disposal facilities often left companies without practical options, which further contributed to the problem.
"State offices of the Environment Department (DoE) are responsible for overseeing waste disposal through the issuance of licenses for scheduled waste transporters and designated premises for waste treatment.
However, the lack of enforcement at the state level has allowed illegal dumping to persist, he said.
He said the hazardous substances division at DoE headquarters is also involved in addressing issues surrounding scheduled waste, but the problem remains widespread.
He said it was high time for Johoreans to question why illegal dumping persisted in the state despite the 2019 Sungai Kim Kim pollution, where almost 1,000 victims are still suffering its effects until today.
"Over several millions (of ringgit) were spent on the clean-up, yet the culprits have yet to be penalised.
"It's simple mathematics. If you have 100 factories that are allowed to use scheduled chemicals, then one should start asking how much waste is generated and where it went.
"Illegal dumping of scheduled chemical waste issue is not unique to Malaysia, it's a problem worldwide…maybe its time for the people to start asking the right questions," he said.
Our attempts to contact Johor Baru acting district officer Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman to verify the source's claims proved futile.
Asman is the official spokesman of the Disaster Management Committee task force mobilised today to monitor the chemical-stench air pollution and clean-up operations at two identified industrial parks.
Residents in Taman Daya, Taman Istimewa, Taman Mount Austin, and Kampung Melayu Pandan have complained of a chemical stench since last week.