Puchong landfill efficient and safe
By BRIAN MARTIN
WORLDWIDE Sita Environmental Management Sdn Bhd (WSEM), the consortium which will manages the Puchong Sanitary Landfill expects to earn RM5O,000 monthly from garbage collection.
The vice-president of Sita International, Jean Claude Lebel said the sanitary landfill at the Air Hitam Forest Reserve measuring 10,000,000 cubic metres would be largest project undertaken by the company.
"The sanitary landfill is the most efficient as well as an ecologically safe method for the disposal of domestic waste," he said.
"The system is widely used in Europe and we have built similar ones in Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong.
"However, the Puchong landfill is by far the largest," he said.
Lebel said the Puchong landfill was expected to have a lifespan of 20 years.
"After it has served its purpose, the landfill will be rehabilitated and the state government can utilise the land for various purposes such as the building of recreation complexes or sports centres or even a golf course," he added.
Lebelsaid that the landfill would not harm the surrounding environment.
"We are the only environment-based company that has not been sued for ecological damage.
"We will utilise the latest state of the art technology in building the Puchong landfill," he said.
It will accept domestic waste as well commercial/industrial waste that are non-toxic and non-radioactive.
The uncontrolled dumping of waste in the various dumps in Selangor have given rise to a number of environmental, health and safety problems, such as the seepage of leachate into ground-water, building of methane gas and disturbing visual impacts in the surrounding environment.
"A sanitary landfill is designed in such a way as to minimise such potential impacts through the inclusion of specific pollution control measures.
"Once the waste arrives, it will be located at a temporary dumping area after which waste treatment is carried out.
"The waste is dumped into a landfill liner system for the containment of leachate, and a layer of sand is used as final capping to reduce and suppress water infiltration, "said Lebel.
The emmission of landfill gas was also controlled, he said adding that the landfill would except waste from seven local authorities at tipping charges of RM25 per metric tonne.
The company, he said was however willing to negotiate with industrial companies for the dumping of their waste.
Source : THE STAR 15 April 1995
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