PUTRAJAYA: A total of 214 compound notices were issued for environment-related offences, particularly the storage and processing of illegal e-waste, says Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup (pic).
The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister said the compounds were issued in a series of operations, Ops Hazard 1.0 to 3.0, which ended on Wednesday.
The nationwide integrated operations were carried out under the Environmental Quality Act and the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations, he added.
“Ops Hazard 1.0 to 3.0 series is not merely a routine operation but a warning to all parties.
“With amendments to the Environmental Quality Act 1974, we now have stronger legal authority,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Of the total, 35 compound notices were issued under Ops Hazard 1.0, followed by 78 under 2.0 and 101 under 3.0.
He said that under Ops Hazard 1.0, illicit e-waste storage facilities were successfully uncovered in remote industrial areas, revealing a disposal chain that operated without the necessary permits.
A total of 17 compounds amounting to RM34,000 were issued for various offences, while fines totalling RM193,000 were imposed upon conviction.
Under Ops Hazard 2.0, enforcement was aimed at curbing the illegal processing of scheduled wastes, especially e-waste.
“As a result, 69 premises were inspected, with 42 investigation papers opened under the Environmental Quality Act.
“Of the total, 75 compounds were issued with a value of RM150,000,” he said as reported by Bernama.
Arthur said Ops Hazard 3.0 achieved its biggest success when about 4,714 tonnes of e-waste, valued at over RM23.79mil, were seized in simultaneous operations across several states.
He said the seizures involved 104 factories in 11 states nationwide, where 101 compound notices were issued, with fines totalling RM202,000.
