DOE probe into Chemtex's record
KUALA LUMPUR, Sun. —
The Department of Environment (DOE) is checking if Scientific Chemtex Sdn Bhd has previous records of illegal dumping of expired deadly chemicals.
The Penang-based chemical wholesaler was identified as the party responsible for the illegal dumping of 41 drums of expired potassium cyanide at Pangkor resort island’s landfill the amount of which could kill 70 million people.
DOE deputy director-general Tan Meng Leng said in an interview today the team led by Penang DOE director Raja Rokiah Raja Saigon together with the police had entered Scientific Chemtex’s warehouse in Butterworth yesterday to check on the company’s records for the chemicals it imported.
It is learnt that the company is storing a substantial amount of other chemicals subject to the Health Ministry’s Poison Act.
"We are looking at the history of the company through its documents to see if Scientific Chemtex has previous records of similar dumping. We want to know if there had been other cases of expired hazardous chemicals, where they had been disposed of and who handled them," he said.
However, it is believed that the chances are very high for Scientific Chemtex having destroyed incriminating documents which could be used as evidence against it.
Sources said the earlier disclosure by the Press that the culprit was based in Butterworth could have alerted the company to destroy the evidence.
Tan said: "Our main concern is that, if it is true that there had been previous instances where the company had committed such a crime, we want to know where they had been dumped so that steps can be taken to safeguard public health and the environment."
When asked to comment on the seriousness of the illegal dumping of 41 drums of potassium cyanide, Law Minister Datuk Syed Hamid Albar said the legal action against the company would be a "test case".
He said if the existing laws did not provide for deterrent or adequate sentences, the Government would take steps to amend the relevant laws.
This was to prevent future occurrences of such of-fences, he told reporters after opening the annual general meeting of the Taman Sen Segambut Islamic Welfare Association (Perkis) here.
In Penang, welcoming Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s proposal to establish a task force to monitor the importation, transportation, usage and disposal of hazardous chemicals, State DOE director Raja Rokiah Raja Saigon said it was a timely and appropriate move.
This is to ensure that the regulations pertaining to the handling, usage and disposal of toxic chemicals and waste are observed by all the parties involved.
"With the establishment of the task force, all information pertaining to hazardous chemicals or wastes can be standardised.
"This will enable the relevant authorities to monitor the activities of all operators dealing with these chemicals; from their purchase, importation, usage, storage, transportation right down to their disposal," she said in an interview.
However, she said for the task force to be effective, it must have the co-operation and the full support of all the relevant Government departments and agencies in the State.
Raja Rokiah lamented that although the DOE had been furnishing the State industrial sector with a complete list of information on companies involved in the disposal of scheduled wastes, the department was not supplied with a list of firms involved in the importation of hazardous chemicals into the State.
In addition, she said the DOE could not act against these companies as it has no jurisdiction over these companies. Licences to import or bring the chemicals into the State are issued by the State Health and Medical Services Department.
"We can only act if the chemicals or toxic wastes from these companies were to cause or bring about negative problems to the environment and the people.
"Should this be the case, we can then charge them under section 24 of the Environment Quality Act for endangering the environment and the health and safety of the public for which they can be fined up to RM1O,000 or two years jail or both upon conviction," she said.
Meanwhile, attempts to contact the owners of Scientific Chemtex proved futile. Telephone calls to the owners’ house in Lorong Nipah, Sungai Dua, were answered by a woman, claiming to be a staff of the company, who said that there was "no one at home".
She said the owners were not around and did not know when they would return.
The woman also criticised the Press for highlighting the issues on the illegal dumping of the 41 drums of potassium cyanide.
She said it was only a small matter but the Press and the authorities had blown it out of proportion.
Source : The New Straits Times 27 March 1995
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