KUANTAN: A total of 225 locations in Pahang, including those near schools and residential areas, may be polluted by hazardous waste.
State Tourism, Environment and Plantations Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said among the 11 Pahang districts, Kuantan had the highest number of potential risk areas (69) followed by Jerantut (67), Cameron Highlands (28),Temerloh (26), Bentong (seven) Bera and Pekan (six each), Raub (five), Lipis and Rompin (four) and Maran (three).
He said the locations could be operating legally or illegally.
Information on the locations was obtained through remote sensing technology.
“Since we utilised remote sensing technology, it showed toxic waste disposal in the vicinity.
“All these areas are now regularly monitored and integrated operations will be conducted by enforcement units under the Pahang Dangerous Waste Disposal Monitoring Committee involving all relevant departments at both state and federal levels,” he said after chairing the committee’s first meeting here today.
Sharkar said the newly established committee was approved by the State Executive Council in May.
Pahang is the first state to have a committee dedicated to monitoring the management of hazardous waste.
He said the committee would ensure that swift action could be implemented in case of any untoward incidents involving the disposal of hazardous waste, especially in industrial areas.
“The committee was set up to ensure that we know where is the main source or cause of a certain problem, and help us to take action.
“We will conduct integrated operations and the State Secretary’s Office has set up an enforcement unit that will coordinate all enforcement efforts,” he said.
Besides enforcement and monitoring, Sharkar said the committee would also review matters involving the application process to open new factories, review the previous standard operating procedures (SOPs) in matters related to the management of industrial waste and identifying parties who would bear the costs if incidents similar to what occurred in Sungai Kim Kim, Pasir Gudang, occurred here.