SUNGAI PETANI: The Kedah Environment Department raided a premises believed to be carrying out illegal plastic waste processing activities in the Taman Ria Jaya Industrial Area here, on Monday (March 30).
Its director, Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab, said the operation, which began at 8.30am and ended at 1pm, was carried out as a result of the enforcement agency's continuous monitoring of industrial activities that could pollute the environment.
She said the inspection found that the premises were carrying out cleaning and extrusion activities on plastic waste to produce plastic pellets, and that they were operating without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval as required under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
"The premises are believed to be operating completely under cover to prevent their activities from being detected by the public," she said in a statement here, Tuesday (March 31).
According to Sharifah Zakiah, the department imposed an Equipment Operation Detention (POK) order under Section 38(1)(a) of the act against a unit of plastic extrusion machine, as well as an air pollution control system and an industrial effluent treatment system, believed to be used in the production process at the premises without the department’s permission.
She said further investigation also found a large amount of raw materials and finished products at the premises, including 700 'jumbo bags' or about 350 metric tonnes of plastic waste, which are believed to be used as raw materials in the manufacturing process.
In addition, enforcement officers found about 258 metric tonnes of finished products, namely plastic pellets, packed in 10,320 sacks, each estimated at 25kg.
"The department also took samples of plastic waste and plastic pellets from the premises before sending them to the Department of Chemistry for laboratory analysis," she said.
The case is being investigated under Section 34A(6) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 for carrying out solid waste recycling activities without EIA approval. – Bernama
