DoE inspects 183 factories and issues 101 compounds in Pasir Gudang

Safety move: DoE officers coaching SK Taman Nusa Damai headmaster Fauziah Mamat (left) and teacher Muhammad Syazwan Zulkifli (red shirt) on the usage of multi-gas detectors to check the air quality. — Bernama

JOHOR BARU: A total of 183 factories around Pasir Gudang have been checked by the Department of Environment (DoE) in an enforcement blitz to clamp down on the pollution affecting residents.

State Health, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Mohd Khuz­zan Abu Bakar said 101 compounds were issued to factory operators for failing to adhere to procedures under the Environmental Act 1974.

“Out of this, 91 compounds were issued for offences in the handling of the disposal of scheduled waste and 10 for the discharge of industrial effluents.

“Forty-six notices were also issued and eight factories were ordered to stop operating.

Additionally, we are recommending court action against two factories,” he said yesterday.

There are over 2,000 legal factories in Pasir Gudang, of which at least 252 are chemical factories.

Khuzzan said 31 students from 11 schools around Pasir Gudang experienced symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and breathing difficulties, on Thursday.

“Twenty-one were sent to health clinics nearby for treatment and only one was referred to the Sultan Ismail Hospital for further checks,” he said, adding that no new patients were admitted yesterday.

State DoE director Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar said it had distributed 108 units of multi-gas detectors to schools in the district to allow them to check the air quality.

The department, he added, had also showed the teachers how to properly handle and record the air quality around their schools.

“The schools will need to notify us if the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) reading in the air is high. Upon receiving the notification, we will go to the schools to take more accurate readings using Gasmet, which can measure more than 50 parameters in an area,” he said.

The gas detectors, said Wan Abdul Latiff, were lent to the schools until tomorrow, after which industries around Pasir Gudang were expected to provide these to the schools.

“Industries here are required to adopt the schools and provide continuous support to their adopted schools, especially in providing detectors.

“Some schools are also expected to receive air purifiers by the industries to help regulate the air quality in their premises,” he said, adding that the DoE would continue monitoring the air quality.

He said at least 26 factories had committed to providing multi-gas detectors to the schools, adding that the number of factories as well as detectors would be finalised next week after a meeting with the industries.