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BUTTERWORTH – A food-based factory in Seberang Prai Utara here was slapped with a RM10,000 compound after it was found to have contaminated public drains with waste.
The factory received the fine following investigations by the Penang Environment Department (DoE) after receiving complaints from the public regarding the white-coloured water throughout the drainage systems in the area.
State DoE director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said, acting on the complaint, a group of officers conducted an investigation to trace the source of the pollution using drones around the involved area.
She said the investigation found that the factory had committed an offence under the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009 for failing to operate the industrial effluent treatment system properly, thus polluting public drains.
Apart from that, she added, the plant also failed to comply with scheduled waste management under the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste) (BT) Regulations 2005.
“In this regard, the premises is also instructed to take immediate action to stop any effluent discharge without treatment and close all illegally installed bypasses in the factory premises to drain wastewater without treatment directly into public drains.
“The factory is also instructed to upgrade the existing effluent treatment system and ensure the scheduled waste generated is managed in accordance with the relevant legislation under the Scheduled Waste Regulations 2005,” she said in a statement, today.
Sharifah said the Penang DoE was grateful to the public who lodged complaints and provided accurate and fast information so that they could facilitate immediate action to be taken. – The Vibes, February 1, 2022