KLUANG: A palm oil mill belonging to a government-linked company in Ulu Remis here has been ordered to close for 60 days pending cleaning up of effluent discharge that could have caused high ammonia content in Sungai Johor.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Hamim Samuri said the notice of closure was served on Thursday evening.
He said the Department of Environment (DOE) received a report from Syarikat Air Johor on Monday and an investigation was conducted before the possible source of the pollution was identified on Thursday.
"DOE officers and company personnel spotted an overflow from the drainage where effluents flow from the mill.
"This could have caused the pollution," he told reporters during a surprise site visit to the mill Friday.
The high ammonia content in the river forced the closure of three treatment plants, causing a major water disruption that affected some 600,000 consumers in the southern part of Johor.
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