KATHLEEN ANN KILI Today Online 11 Aug 16;
JOHOR BARU: The state Department of Environment (DOE) has issued a warning to another palm oil mill operating in Mersing after it was found flouting nine core licensing regulations that could lead to pollution.
Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said investigations revealed that the mill was cited for disregarding the regulations to prevent river pollution.
“The mill has been given three months to rectify the situation. If it fails to make the necessary improvements in its operations, we will not hesitate to suspend the company’s licence,” he told reporters the Johor Baru Health Department’s Safety and Health Week at Hospital Permai here Thursday.
“A check also showed that besides Mersing, the company has five other mills in Johor,” he added.
Ayub also said that the state government is still waiting for the full report on the Sungai Johor water pollution incident in July.
It was reported that some 600,000 consumers in the southern part of Johor were affected when three main water treatment plants were forced to temporarily shut down due to high ammonia content in Sungai Johor.
Following the incident, a palm oil mill belonging to a government-link company in Ulu Remis, near Layang-Layang, was issued a 60-day notice of closure when it was suspected to be the source of the pollution.
