Johor orders Kempas scrap metal recycling premise to shut down over air pollution risk

 

JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 11 — The Johor government has ordered an illegal scrap metal recycling premise in Kampung Maju Jaya, Kempas, here, to shut down immediately following claims of air pollution.

The premise is also located near an underground gas pipeline owned by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), raising safety concerns for more than 10,000 residents in four nearby villages.

State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said the closure order followed an investigation which found that the premise, which had been operating for more than five years, was involved in open burning activities.

He said an inspection found that the 3.4-hectare site was being used for activities not in line with the land’s status.

“Checks showed that the land is zoned for agricultural purposes.

“However, we believe that the premise is used as a collection point for various types of waste, including construction material, before being burned.

“So, even if the operator has a permit and licence, they have violated the land usage conditions,” he told reporters after visiting the premises in Jalan Kempas Lama-Seelong here today.

Also present were Johor Bahru Mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad, Johor Bahru North police chief Assistant Commissioner Radin Ramlan Ramdin Taha and Johor Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWCorp) director Zainal Fitri Ahmad.

Mohd Jafni said checks with the local authorities found that no licence had been issued to allow waste or scrap collection activities to be carried out at the site.

He said initial investigations found that the activity was believed to have been carried out by an entrepreneur who had been renting the land from its Singaporean owner for the past five years.

“The authorities need to locate the land’s owner because he rented this site to the entrepreneur.

“Investigators need to determine whether the owner had abetted the suspects or the activity was part of his business,” he said.

Radin Ramlan said the authorities were in the midst of locating the Singaporean landowner who allegedly rented out the site for a scrap metal recycling operation.

He said this was to facilitate an investigation after the land tenant and three Bangladeshi workers were arrested over allegations that they were involved in open burning activities.

“The four male suspects involved have since been remanded to assist in investigations, while authorities have also sealed the premise.

“The local tenant of the premises has been remanded for four days starting last Monday, while three Bangladeshi male workers have been remanded for 14 days starting yesterday until August 23,” he told reporters.

The premise is located about 150 metres from an underground gas pipeline owned by Petronas, initially raising concerns over safety in the event of a fire or explosion.

However, a technical inspection conducted by Petronas confirmed that the underground gas pipeline was in a safe condition.

Yesterday, Johor SWCorp said it had initiated an investigation paper into the failure of a land tenant to comply with a notice to remove controlled solid waste in Kampung Sinaran Baru, Kempas, here.

Johor SWCorp said the investigation was being conducted under Section 75 of the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672) and would be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action.

Last Sunday, it was reported that about 10,000 residents from four villages around Kempas claimed they were affected by air pollution and faced the risk of an underground gas pipeline explosion from the illegal burning of scrap at the premise.