Heavy metal pollution detected

Red alert: The dire condition of a small river near the quarry during the follow-up on the new ‘Botak Hill’ issue in Teluk Bahang, Penang.

GEORGE TOWN: A quarry illegally mining tens of thousands of tonnes of granite in Teluk Bahang without approval is under suspicion of causing a spike in heavy metals at a nearby river.

State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh revealed that officials found heavy metals at a nearby river that is only about 2km from the sea.