BAUXITE mining is happening in the Kuantan area without proper control and regulation. Much of it illegal, the get-rich-quick drive is threatening the health of those living in and around the area of Sungai Pengorak and Pantai Pengorak where contamination of the air and waters by very dangerous metals, some radioactive, is getting into the food chain. Bauxite contains highly radioactive uranium, containing high levels of concentrated energy which nuclear fission releases. There is no disputing that it causes cancer, a fact manifest in both the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters. Bauxite is mined for aluminium but it contains heavy metals including mercury, another poison that can trigger cancer. Then there is arsenic, beryllium, cadmium and many others all detrimental to human health once it is consumed or enters the lungs. The dust is especially dangerous as it can ultimately block the lungs. It also kills aquatic life. The gills of fish get blocked with sediment. And the poisons deposited in the fish affect humans who consume them. That the waters of the river in and around these areas is red is proof of poisoning of the waterways. Tests done on the water samples confirm this.
Indeed, these bauxite miners stand to make big money from the ore, hence the rush. But given the attendant danger of the undertaking to life in the surrounding areas, a lackadaisical attitude on the part of the authorities carries with it a huge potential for premature death for unwitting victims. Already the cockle population of the river is dead from the pollution. Yet those responsible will not view the matter with urgency. It is regrettable that the Pahang Public Amenities and Environment Committee chairman sought to downplay the level of pollution, when experts confirm there is initial radioactive contamination in the water samples tested. And, according to them, “prolonged exposure to the polluted water and the red dust from bauxite mining can increase the risk of developing cancer”. It is not just about developing a mild cough or indigestion. The affliction can easily be fatal and treatment is costly.
It is not as if bauxite mining is a new thing that does not exist elsewhere in the world. Safety measures are a normal adjunct of the industry because of the serious dangers involved. But mine it we must because bauxite is a valuable raw material. Its processing, however, has dangerous outcomes. The waste water from the washing process must be contained to prevent spillage into waterways. Ponds are needed to allow the sediment in the water to settle. And workers’ safety must, too, be secured. In Australia, for example, not only is the site to be rehabilitated but also the workers, once the mine is exhausted. Licensing the activity, therefore, is important so that controls can be imposed to prevent pollution and contamination and ultimate rehabilitation of location. There are then several dimensions to the operation to ensure sustainability, and the imperative of safety to lives and the environment be properly administered. Endangering the lives of people is criminal. Allowing for the destruction of the environment is reprehensible.