Errant food factories identified

By Pang Hin Yue

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed. —The Department of Environment has identified 63 food and beverage factories throughout the country which last year failed to meet the Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents) 1979 Regulations.

Of the 63 plants, 60 of them or 95 per cent did not have any effluent treatment systems.

They included big players in the industry such as Fraser and Neave (M) Sdn Bhd with its respective plants in Penang, Kelantan and here,

Carlsberg Brewery (M) Sdn Bhd and Dutch Baby Milk Sdn Bhd.

Both Fraser and Neave and Carlsberg Brewery have since applied for contravention licences which have been approved by the Department of Environment.

(Contravention licences are issued by the DOE under section 25(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to factories in cases which allow an acceptable amount of discharge of waste into the atmosphere and inland waters).

Among the problems these companies faced were lack of space in their factory sites to construct effluent treatment systems, and the long overdue central sewerage treatment systems to be provided by the local authorities for the discharge of industrial effluents.

The remaining three or five per cent of the 63 factories were without proper treatment systems.

In an analysis of the local food and beverage industry, which has been a major source of water pollution, the department revealed that it accounted for the most number of the applications for contravention licences.

Last year, of a total of 61 applications received by DOE, 20 came from this sector. And of these 20 applications, only seven were approved.

Among those whose applications were rejected were the Penang-based Protigam Food Industries Sdn Bhd, Butterworth Iceworks Sdn Bhd, Gee Hock Sdn Bhd and Bihun Bersatu Sdn Bhd.

In a nationwide survey carried out by the department on 1,082 food and beverage factories, 86 were identified as "problematic" in complying with the Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents) Regulations 1979.

Of these 86 factories, 69 per cent did not have effluents treatment systems, while 31 per cent did not have efficient systems.

Among the factors which contributed to the inefficient waste systems are lack of trained operators and system design which does not have the appropriate technical specifications.

Most of the parameters of the Water Quality Index which this industry persistently does not comply, according to the department, are biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD).

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed. —Contravention licences which have been given to existing polluting industries the past 10 years will not be issued after 1994.

The licences which permit specific discharge of waste into the atmosphere and inland waters are given to industries such as food and beverage, chemical, textile, rubber-based, palm oil and paper.

Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Law Hieng Ding said today the deadline was sufficent for manufacturers to install proper waste treatment systems.

"There is no excuse for an extension. There is enough time for them to come up with waste treatment systems which meet the Department of Environment standards. The necessary technology to treat effluents is available," he said.

Last year, the DOE received 61 applications for contravention licences of which, only 21 or 34 per cent were approved.

Law, however, said the ministry would be "flexible" enough to consider allowing contravention licences to new industries if they could prove to the DOE that they lacked the know-how to treat effluents from their factories. 

But they must not abuse such provisions which are provided under Section 25(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, he added.

Speaking to reporters after opening a dialogue session between his ministry and representatives from the food and beverages industry, Law was concerned that the industry has been a major source of river pollution.

"Most of the factories that had been issued contravention licences for the past 10 years made no efforts to develop proper waste treatment plants.

"Their excuse is that they are waiting for the local authorities to build central sewage systems.

"And to save (short-term) cost, they rather spend between $500 and $2,000 for the contravention licences than invest in good waste treatment systems which cost at least $200,000 per unit and which involve an operational cost of $2,000 per month," the Minister said.

In view of this, he said the DOE would be much stricter when screening applications for contravention iicences to prevent the "abuse of the provisions" under the Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents) Regulations 1979.

DOE Director-General Dr Abu Bakar Jaafar meanwhile said more punitive measures would be taken to ensure greater compliance from manufacturers.

Source : New Straits Times January 6 1993

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