A beverage factory operating in Selangor was fined RM76,000 for discharging over -the -limit industrial effluent into public drains. The state Department of Environment (DOE) director said the decision was made by Shah Alam Sessions Court Judge Rasyihah Ghazali after the director pleaded guilty.
The factory is accused of committing the offense in 2020 and according to Section 16 (1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and Regulation 10 (3) of the Environmental Quality Regulations 2009, the discharging of chemicals into public drains is not acceptable. “Based on the facts of the case, the plant released over the parameters of chemical oxygen requirement, chemical oxygen requirement, and concentrated suspended solids beyond the permitted limits,” said Nor Aziah Jaafar in a statement.
He explained that the plant was also accused of operating an industrial effluent treatment system without a competent person.
DOE has been working hard to address the serious issue pertaining to river pollution and chemical discharge into public water systems of late. Over the past two years, there have been various incidents of damaging pollution of rivers and waterways in the State with mostly attributed to negligence by factory owners.
