Malaysia: Sg Kim Kim free of toxic pollution

Reports by NELSON BENJAMIN, MOHD FARHAAN SHAH, REMAR NORDIN and AUSTIN CAMOENS The Star 20 Mar 19;

PASIR GUDANG: The 1.5km stretch of Sungai Kim Kim – which was put under the national spotlight after it became polluted with chemical waste – is declared free of toxic pollution.

This declaration was made after carrying out an extensive cleaning operation, said Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

The authorities will still continue to monitor the river for the next 25 days to ensure the water and air quality within the surrounding is clean.

“Now, the job is to bring all the chemical waste collected to a factory for disposal. A total of 900 metric tonnes of soil and 1,500 metric tonnes of water that was polluted has been cleaned,” she said at a press conference held at the main dumping ground near Sungai Kim Kim here yesterday.

“The contractors involved in the cleaning operation are bringing out all the toxic waste systematically and safely.

“The entire procedure is expected to be completed on March 21,” she added.

To convince the surrounding community the area is now free from toxic spill, the authorities will be conducting inspection without wearing any safety equipment, said Yeo.

Meanwhile, when asked about the new dumping sites located at Sungai Masai and Sungai Semilang, Yeo said she would address the matter today.

“We will give a full report on everything that has happened in Pasir Gudang and other issues relating to the toxic waste at a special press conference at Menara Aqabah,” she said.

It was reported on March 7 that the chemical dump at Sungai Kim Kim here has affected the health of more than 4,000 people, including students, forcing the government to close all 111 schools in the district.


Pasir Gudang chemical pollution: 73 patients discharged, 22 new cases
remar nordin The Star 19 Mar 19;

PASIR GUDANG: A total of 73 patients have been discharged from Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) and Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) following the March 7 chemical dumping incident in Sungai Kim Kim here.

State Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said as of midnight on Tuesday (March 19), the state Health Department had also recorded 22 new patients receiving treatment at hospitals while two patients were still being treated at intensive care units (ICU).

Fish samples tested for contamination
remar nordin The Star 20 Mar 19;

JOHOR BARU: The Fisheries Depart­ment has taken samples of fish and mussels from the Pasir Gudang area to determine whether they are safe to eat following the toxic chemical pollution in Sungai Kim Kim.

Its director-general Datuk Munir Mohd Nawi said the samples would be taken to the department’s laboratory or any private lab to be analysed.

“A detailed analysis will be based on the nine contaminant parameters that had been identified to determine whether fish sources in the Pasir Gudang area are safe for consumption or otherwise.

“The results of the analysis will be announced in the near future,” he said in a statement.

Munir added that the state department has formed a special task force that would oversee the results of the analysis and monitor the water quality in the area.

“There are eight fishermen bases involving 342 fishermen and 181 sea farmers around Teluk Kabung and Kampung Perigi Acheh that are affected by the chemical pollution.

“The Chemistry Department has no expertise and does not conduct analysis for contaminated fish and mussels samples with toxic substances, and that is the reason why we formed a task force for this purpose,” he said.

The preliminary report from the Chemistry Department found water samples in Sungai Kim Kim contained methane, hydrogen chloride, acrylonitrile, acrolein, ethyl benzene, aldrich toluene, xylene and limonene.

The Fisheries Depart­ment immediately began monitoring fish and mussels around Pasir Gudang and so far, there have been no reports of fish and mussel deaths.

“There was a viral video that supposedly showed hundreds of fish dead from pollution in Pasir Gudang.

“After an investigation, the state Fisheries Department confirmed that it was fake news and no such incident happened in Sungai Kim Kim, Kong-Kong or any area in Pasir Gudang,” Munir said.