Odour pollution suspected to be from acrylic factory, says exco

 

Luas officials carrying out mitigation measures and checking for odour pollution. (Facebook pic)

SHAH ALAM: 

The odour pollution detected in several rivers in Selangor since yesterday is believed to have been caused by a factory processing acrylic materials for recycling, says state public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin.

She said checks by the Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) found effluent from a leaking tank had caused what is believed to be scheduled polymethacrylic acid waste to overflow into drains and ditches up to Sungai Kuang.

Jamaliah said spillage also entered nearby rivers, with Luas’s static team detecting an odour measuring 3 TON (threshold odour number) in Sungai Kundang at 1.30am and Sungai Sembah at 4.30am today.

Luas ordered the premises to stop the discharge of waste and carry out cleaning works immediately, as the pollution poses a risk to nearby water treatment plants, including Rantau Panjang which is 29.61km away, and SSP1, SSP2 and SSP3 located 34.02km away,

 she said in a statement.

Jamaliah said Luas is actively carrying out mitigation measures in the affected rivers by increasing the application of activated carbon for deodorisation, implementing dilution works and water pumping to accelerate the flow of polluted materials past the plants’ intake area.

She said Luas has opened an investigation paper under Section 79(1) of the Luas Enactment 1999, adding that the parties involved also face enforcement action from the environment department and the Selayang Municipal Council.

Air Selangor announced earlier that seven areas – Petaling, Klang, Shah Alam, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Hulu Selangor and Kuala Selangor – were facing unscheduled water supply disruptions due to the temporary shutdown of four plants following odour pollution at Sungai Kundang and Sungai Sembah. - FMT