Landfill fumes are worrying

ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) is extremely concerned that the fire in the Pulau Burung landfill in Penang is still burning underground although the fire on the surface was reportedly extinguished and under control. The toxic fumes engulfing the area has prompted the evacuation of about 400 residents nearby as well as schools (“Pulau Burung landfill fire: 10 schools within 10km of blaze ordered closed for three days”, The Star, Jan 18; bit.ly/star_landfill).

On Jan 14, SAM asked the state and other relevant authorities to investigate and report the cause of the fire. We have learned that the landfill caught fire a number of times last year, and in previous years there were complaints of leachate from the landfill polluting water in the area and also damaging nearby mangrove forests.