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IPOH: Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) says it suspects that similar industrial waste is being dumped and buried in the ground at a site in Chepor near here.
SAM Field Officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said green and gray substances have likely been dumped there in recent years.
He said SAM received a complaint in February about the spreading of substances on private land next to a tourist center.
“On our site visit, we found a large hole next to the resort. We could see green and gray substances.
“We are not sure if the material is dangerous or not.
“If not, why didn’t the responsible party dump it in the waste disposal area provided by the local authorities?” told reporters during a site visit on Wednesday (October 7).
Resort owner Nasaruddin Umar, 52, said he believed the activity had been going on for five years.
“When we first saw trucks carrying the substances, they told us they were safe.
“We had some workers at the complex who said they had rashes when they touched the smelly substances,” he added.
Nasaruddin said they had reported the matter to the police, the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and the Department of the Environment (DOE).
“The police put the yellow tape around the area and told me that an investigation was underway. That was a few years ago.
“I hope they will expedite the investigation and provide an update to the public,” he added.
He also claimed that the waste had polluted a nearby river.
“There are some family houses located near the river, and they told us that the water had turned cloudy. They felt that it was not safe to play in it.
“A nearby fish farm was also affected. The owner told me that his fish had died, possibly from contaminated water, “he said.
When contacted, Perak DOE Director Rosli Zul said they would look into the matter.
“We will get our officers to obtain a sample of the substance and turn it over to the Chemistry Department to determine whether the substance is harmful or not.
“We will also contact the owner for more information,” he said.
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