Chemical - filled receptacles found in Penang junkyard
PENANG, Thurs. —
The State Department of Environment (DOE) found four plastic receptacles filled with chemicals at a junkyard in Sungai Tiram, near Bayan Lepas, here, today.
The receptacles were among 20 large drums and about 1,000 empty plastic receptacles found there.
Initial investigations by DOE officers had found that two of the receptacles contained either an oil-based substance for industrial use or flux. Both items are on the scheduled waste list.
The contents of the other two receptacles, however, have yet to be ascertained.
DOE enforcement officer Abdul Razak Saad said the department would take the substances for tests to ascertain whether all the chemical substances found today were toxic.
He said if they were proven to be toxic, the department would identify the owner of the receptacles and order them to take them back to their premises.
Following this, he urged users of scheduled chemicals to ensure that the receptacles were properly emptied before disposing of them.
Checks by the New Straits Times also showed that some of the receptacles at the junkyard were used to store dangerous chemicals as their labels showed their contents to be poisonous, highly flammable and toxic.
Some of the receptacles stored there were used to contain scheduled chemicals like terpene, ethylacatate, acetone and hydrochloric acid.
Abdul Razak also said that although the drums and bottles were empty, they should be properly kept and stored.
He also reminded junkyard owners who bought used receptacles and drums from factories to make doubly sure that the items were not used to store toxic or hazardous chemicals.
Source : The New Straits Times 31 March 1995
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