Pasir Gudang factories ordered to monitor chimney emissions

Environment Department staff conduction checks on pollution in Pasir Gudang in June. (Bernama pic)

JOHOR BAHRU: All factories in Pasir Gudang have been ordered to install special equipment to enable direct data monitoring of emissions from its chimneys over a 24-hour period.

The equipment must have the latest technology and be capable of providing data directly to the Environment Department for online monitoring, said the department’s head, Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar.

“At the same time, we will also be on the ground (at the factories) to verify the emission data, meaning that the factories must also have a good record-keeping system for verification,” he said at a townhall session on current issues in Pasir Gudang held at the Pasir Gudang indoor stadium here today.

At the townhall meeting, Johor Menteri Besar Sahruddin Jamal apologised, on behalf of the state government, to the people of Pasir Gudang for the air pollution in the region since June 20.

Among those who attended the meeting were representatives of schools, Parent-Teachers Associations, and non-governmental organisations.

Wan Abdul Latiff said direct emission monitoring was needed as there was the possibility of factories manipulating their emission data if continuous monitoring was not done.

He also called on factory owners to take an honest approach in ensuring their emission data meet the required standards.

“This is important as the department has caught several of them (factories) attempting to save costs by dumping their waste illegally. I have seen this happening in the other states too.

“Medium-scale factories, for example, have to spend about RM30,000 to RM80,000 per month to clean up their waste. That is why when there is a chance to save costs, some of them will try to do that, and that is why we need to raise awareness with the industries, besides conducting strict enforcement,” he said.

Wan Abdul Latiff said that the Environment Department was making efforts to procure more advanced equipment to handle pollution in Pasir Gudang. This includes the possibility of putting up 30 automatic air quality monitoring stations in the area. - FMT