Don’t let it happen again

IT was a heart-wrenching moment when I was at ground zero in Sg Kim Kim on March 15 to see first-hand how the authorities were collecting air, soil and water samples.

While our team were all fully prepped up with personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks and elbow long gloves, we spotted children playing outside their homes, about 50m from the river.

They were oblivious to the fact that it was a disaster zone and toxic fumes had caused more than 4,000 people to seek medical attention in Pasir Gudang since March 7.

The riverbanks were marked with green flags, meaning the area had been secured while red flags indicated that those locations were still precarious to public health.

All the chemicals, including solids and fluids, weighing hundreds of tonnes have been placed in jumbo bags, which were then transported out of the area.

Soon after our exit from the area, we had to be decontaminated by a team of firemen stationed there.

Despite everyone garbed in full PPE, a Department of Environment (DoE) official, who had earlier entered the area to collect samples with his team, collapsed and had to be given urgent medical treatment.

This clearly showed the severity of the chemical compounds still lingering in the air at that time.

This crisis began on March 6 when chemicals were dumped below a bridge in Sg Kim Kim.

The incident has shocked the nation as it occurred in one of Johor biggest industrial towns with a population of a few hundred thousand people.

There are 700 big and small factories in the area, which also houses two sea ports - Johor Port and Tanjung Langsat.

Since it exploded in the open, the state government has come under heavy criticism on the way they handled the crisis with dozens of students from a school, located less than 500m from the river, falling ill and needed to be rushed to hospital.

Among the brickbats include about the Mentri Besar picking a wrong time to go overseas, not once but on two occasions.

Social media was abuzz with all sorts of news, some from unverified sources to allegations of deaths and people suffering from multiple organ failures after inhaling toxic fumes.

Now with the operation finally coming to an end some two weeks later after Sg Kim Kim had been cleared, there are now many questions as to what is the next course of action.

On Wednesday, the authorities announced that there are 46 other sites with similar pollution around Pasir Gudang and many are within a 5km radius of Sg Kim Kim.

If so, why then the rush to close down the inter-department operations when there are still so many other potential hazardous sites within Pasir Gudang?

Based on this latest developments, it can be pointed out that illegal dumping has been going on for "a very long time" and nobody actually bothered to do anything.

It can also indicate that the chemical factories are going all out to get rid of their chemical stock to avoid any large-scale operations by the authorities after the Pasir Gudang crisis.

Energy, Technology, Science, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin had earlier announced that as a long-term measure, the DoE would be carrying out checks on 252 chemical factories in the area after the crisis is over.

The time has come for the government to order the setting up of a special inter-department task force to carry out checks and audits in Pasir Gudang.

The DoE should walk the talk and rope in officers from the local government, Rela, Fire and Rescue Department and even the police to start checking all the existing factories in the area.

The onus is on the factory owners to produce their waste disposal schedule, which should be checked against the amount of toxic waste sent to the Kualiti Alam Waste Management Centre in Negri Sembilan.

They should also order an immediate lockdown of the area and stop illegal dumping by the roadside, below bridges or in the mangrove areas.

Roadblocks, manned by the police with experts and detection equipment, should also be set up at all major roads to and from the industrial estate, including village roads around the clock to stop the movement and dumping of hazardous chemicals.

Those who are unable to produce proper documents should be detained for questioning.

Anyone with toxic chemicals in their premises without proper paperwork should face prompt and stern action.

Also, the DoE should set up a website or WhatsApp group for the people to channel pictures and information on illegal dumping not just in Johor but elsewhere.

The DoE can also update their website daily on the air quality or water quality in Pasir Gudang for the public to get the latest air or water readings and to dispel all fake news on social media.

The authorities should always remember that it is always good to be transparent instead of allowing people to get news from unverified sources.

There should be more engagement with environmental NGOs such as the Malaysian Nature Society to be the "eyes and ears" of the authorities and provide information with regards to illegal dumping sites.

The DoE or police should also start taking those responsible to court as so far, no one has been hauled up yet.

The time has come for all relevant government agencies to wake up and take the bull by the horns as the Sg Kim Kim case in Pasir Gudang may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cases of illegal toxic disposal in the country.