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IPOH: An investigation into the unknown soil-like substance found dumped and buried in Chepor’s land is ongoing, says the Perak Department of the Environment.
Its director Rosli Zul said the substance was sampled and the area cordoned off.
“The sample will be delivered to the Chemistry Department to determine its real composition and verify if it is dangerous or not.
“It could take up to about a month to figure out the composition,” he told reporters at the DOE office here on Thursday (October 8).
The environmental group Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) had claimed on Wednesday (October 7) that industrial waste was being illegally dumped onto private land in Chepor.
SAM Field Officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahim said he believed the green and gray substances had been spilled in recent years.
Rosli said the department is also looking for the registered owner of the land.
“We plan to interview the owner and nearby villagers to get to the bottom of this.
“In addition to taking the substance, we will also perform air and water tests to check for contamination.
“What we can confirm right now is that the land is not registered for the dumping of waste and measures will be taken once we know the composition of the waste,” he added.
Rosli said that based on past experiences, the substances are believed to be industrial waste.
“The level of danger depends on the heavy metal substance. If it is mercury, arsenic, or lead, then it can be very dangerous.
“That is often the case when it comes to illegal dumping of industrial waste.
“They (companies) generally want to find a cheap and easy way to dispose of their waste and they know that the public generally wouldn’t bother to check.
“That is why we hope that the public can be our eyes. For landowners, don’t just accept offers from companies to use their property as a landfill, ”he added.
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