JOHOR BARU: Johor Environment Department has arrested the owner and supervisor of a premises in the Pasir Gudang industrial area, here, following an incident of orange smoke emission suspected to be scheduled waste detected on Thursday (June 11).
Its director Dr Mohd Famey Yusoff said the individuals, aged 34 and 41, were arrested at around 8pm on Thursday by the department.
He said initial investigations found that the premises failed to comply with scheduled waste management procedures and licensing conditions issued under Section 16 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
"A thorough investigation by the Prescribed Premises for Scheduled Waste (PYDT BT) Unit at the location of the incident confirmed a serious violation of environmental laws," he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, he said air quality monitoring was also being carried out in nearby sensitive areas including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Taman Pasir Putih and SMK Pasir Gudang 3 using a portable multigas analyser.
However, he said, no hazardous gas parameters were detected in the surrounding area as of today.
Mohd Famey stressed that his party would not compromise with industrial operators who ignore aspects of scheduled waste management to the point of endangering public safety and the environment.
According to him, the strictest legal action would be taken against any party found to be violating compliance requirements.
On Thursday, senior operations commander Deputy Fire Superintendent II Firdaus Ahmad of the Pasir Gudang Fire and Rescue Station reported that a 200-litre industrial tank containing "Spent Inorganic Acid" (SW206) at a factory in Jalan Keluli, Pasir Gudang had a leak.
He said the emergency call was received at 11.59am, and no victims were reported to be affected in the incident.
Earlier, photos and videos went viral showing a plume of orange smoke in the air around the industrial area. - Bernama
