Luas issues Code Yellow alert for Semenyih factory fire and diesel spill in Slim River

A FIRE at a plastic factory along Jalan Perindustrian Mahkota Utama in Beranang, Semenyih and a diesel spill at Sungai Slim River, prompted the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) to issue a code yellow warning for both incidents.

Code yellow is for incidences that have the potential to cause disruption of a water treatment plant.

Located 19km from the Jenderam Hilir water intake point – a tributary of Sungai Semenyih where the Semenyih Water Treatment Plant is located – Selangor exco member Hee Loy Sian said Luas was alerted to the plastic factory fire when it went viral on social media at 3.30pm Friday (Jan 13).

The Selangor State Environment, Green Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman said upon arrival, Luas found industrial manufacturing materials and products flowing into the area's drains in the form of an oily black liquid as firefighters battled to control the blaze.

"Luas' immediate action was to contain and prevent it from flowing into Sungai Kabul, the waterway leading to the Jenderam Hilir water intake point.

"Three oil booms were installed to create a pollution trap along 200m of drain until the fire was successfully put out at 2.30am on Saturday (Jan 14).

"Thirteen bags of activated carbon were also used to prevent the odour from entering Sungai Kabul. By 3.30am, the contaminated water was suctioned out of the pollutant trap for proper disposal," he said in a statement on Saturday.

Continuous monitoring and sampling at a frequency of every 30 minutes along several selected spots till 7am on Saturday found no traces of visible burnt materials or odour from the fire.

In a separate incident in Perak, a diesel spill which occurred at 5.24pm on Friday (Jan 13) in Sungai Slim River raised worries of operations disruption of the Bernam River Headworks water treatment plant.

Based on information from the Perak Environment Department, the site of the spill was 21km upstream from the plant.

Monitoring and sampling was done at a frequency of every one hour using portable UV analysers from 7pm on Friday to 4.30am on Saturday.

There were no traces of diesel residue or odour, and it was concluded that the diesel had been dissolved by the river.

Hee commended the proactive and cooperative efforts from participating agencies as instrumental in ensuring the continued operation of both water treatment plants,

He also reminded the public that they too must take responsibility for the protection of water resources and refrain from using rivers and waterways as discharge points.