Air quality at Pulau Burung landfill worsening

 

Penang environment and welfare committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said only about one-third of the 11ha Pulau Burung landfill area was still burning.

NIBONG TEBAL: The air quality at Pulau Burung due to the fire at the landfill along Jalan Byram here is worsening.

Based on the air pollutant index management system (APIMS) website, the air quality at the landfill at 7am today showed an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 103, which increased to 128 at 3pm.

The API station at the landfill was opened specifically to monitor air quality in the area following the fire. It is also the only station in the country that recorded an unhealthy reading.

A survey by Bernama found that a moderate haze situation was also reported in Penang, especially in George Town.

Based on APIMS, four other API stations in Penang recorded readings at a moderate level at 3pm today, namely Seberang Jaya (88) and Seberang Perai (75) on the mainland, as well as Minden (74) and Balik Pulau (72) on the island.

An API of zero to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous.

Meanwhile, Penang environment and welfare committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said only 31% of the 11ha Pulau Burung landfill was still on fire and efforts were being made to extinguish the fire.

The firefighting efforts involve the fire and rescue department, Seberang Perai city council, Penang city council, Civil Defence Force, Volunteer Fire Brigade and the company which manages the landfill, Syarikat PLB Terang, he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, the Seberang Perai Selatan district disaster management committee, in a statement, stated that the fire in sectors 1, 2 and 4 had been extinguished, but was still being monitored. - FMT