AHMAD FAIRUZ OTHMAN New Straits Times 14 Jul 16;
KOTA TINGGI: Effluents from an oil palm factory in Ulu Remis, here has been identified as the cause of ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor that led to water supply disruptions in three districts.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the state government would take legal action against the factory's owner, a government-linked company.
He said the Department of Environment had taken water samples from Sungai Johor and investigations have so far revealed that the factory was responsible for the incident that led to high amounts of ammonia in Sungai Johor.
This caused three water treatment plants to be closed on Tuesday, which caused water supply disruptions affecting about 600,000 consumers in three districts.
"The state government has identified the company involved and legal action will be taken on them. The pollution was caused by an oil palm factory in Ulu Remis.
"The state government will not compromise on the matter as the company's carelessness had caused pollution to the environment and hardship to the people," said Khaled after launching Rumah Mampu Milik Johor units in InnoCity, here.
Khaled: Palm oil mill responsible for ammonia pollution in Sg Johor
ZAZALI MUSA The Star 14 Jul 16;
KOTA TINGGI: Effluents discharged from a palm oil mill belonging to a government-linked company (GLC) in Ulu Remis near here have been identified as the main source of the high ammonia content in Sungai Johor.
This had forced the operations to halt at three water treatment plants in the state, causing a major water disruption.
The temporary closure of the water treatment plants since Tuesday had affected some 600,000 consumers in the southern parts of Johor.
"We will take legal action against the company for causing hardship and inconvenience to the people,” said Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin at a press conference on Thursday.
He said that the Department of Environment had taken more water samples from the river for testing and the results were expected to be out soon.
He said the state government would not compromise in dealing with the case and would haul the company to court.
The three affected water treatment plants are Semangar, Sungai Johor and Tai Hong which supplied water to some 600,000 users.
The plants served domestic, commercial and industrial users in Skudai, Kulai, Bukit Batu, the Tanjung Bin power station near Pontian, Iskandar Puteri and Port of Tanjung Pelepas near Gelang Patah.
Earlier, Mohamed Khaled attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Rumah Mampu Milik Johor, an affordable housing scheme, under the Innocity project near here.
‘Mill likely to face court over water disruption’
The Star 15 Jul 16;
KOTA TINGGI: An oil palm mill located in Ulu Remis between the Kluang and Kota Tinggi districts will likely face legal action for allegedly discharging effluents into Sungai Johor which resulted in high ammonia levels in the river.
The high ammonia content was detected on Tuesday by the state authorities, rendering the water unfit for human consumption. It forced three water treatment plants to stop their operations, causing supply disruptions for some 600,000 users in the southern parts of Johor.
Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin told yesterday that the state government planned to haul the government-linked company (GLC) that owned the oil palm mill to court.
“We have taken water samples from Sungai Johor and handed them to the Department of Environment for further action,” he said.
Mohamed Khaled said the pollution had caused hardship and inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of users.
He added that the state government would not hesitate to take legal action against any GLCs, state-linked companies or private companies for polluting the environment.
The Semangar and Sungai Johor plants resumed operations in stages on Wednesday and water supply to the affected areas was likely to fully resume by today.
GLC-linked palm oil mill ordered to close over river pollution
KATHLEEN ANN KILI The Star 15 Jul 16;
KLUANG: A palm oil mill belonging to a government-linked company in Ulu Remis here has been ordered to close for 60 days pending cleaning up of effluent discharge that could have caused high ammonia content in Sungai Johor.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Hamim Samuri said the notice of closure was served on Thursday evening.
He said the Department of Environment (DOE) received a report from Syarikat Air Johor on Monday and an investigation was conducted before the possible source of the pollution was identified on Thursday.
"DOE officers and company personnel spotted an overflow from the drainage where effluents flow from the mill.
"This could have caused the pollution," he told reporters during a surprise site visit to the mill Friday.
The high ammonia content in the river forced the closure of three treatment plants, causing a major water disruption that affected some 600,000 consumers in the southern part of Johor.
