Malaysia: 31 more Pasir Gudang students suffer breathing difficulties, nausea, vomiting

Kalbana Perimbanayagam New Straits Times 5 Jul 19;

PASIR GUDANG: Another 31 students from 11 schools here experienced breathing difficulties, nausea and vomiting during classes yesterday.

State Health, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar said 21 students were sent to the district health clinic and one, whose condition was more serious, was referred to Sultan Ismail Hospital.

“The rest were treated by the medical psychology team on standby at the respective schools.

“There were no new admissions so far,” he said.

The 11 schools are SK Taman Pasir Putih, SK Pasir Gudang 4, SMK Pasir Gudang 3, SK Kota Masai, SK Senibong, SK Kopok, SK Kota Masai 3, SJK (T) Pasir Gudang, SMK Desa Jaya, SMK Dato Penggawa Timur and SMK Seri Kota Puteri.

Khuzzan said the state Environment Department (DOE) had continued to carry out monitoring and enforcement on the area’s chemical factories.

He said 182 out of a total of 250 premises had been checked and 98 compounds had been issued for improper management of scheduled waste as of 8am this morning.

“Two companies were also recommended for a court order by DOE officers upon inspection,” he said, adding that 46 notices of demand and nine stop work orders had also been issued.

Khuzzan said the authorities were working round the clock to ensure safety by making sure that all high-risk factories in the vicinity complied with the standard operating procedures and abided by the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

DoE inspects 183 factories and issues 101 compounds in Pasir Gudang
venesa devi The Star 6 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: A total of 183 factories around Pasir Gudang have been checked by the Department of Environment (DoE) in an enforcement blitz to clamp down on the pollution affecting residents.

State Health, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Mohd Khuz­zan Abu Bakar said 101 compounds were issued to factory operators for failing to adhere to procedures under the Environmental Act 1974.

“Out of this, 91 compounds were issued for offences in the handling of the disposal of scheduled waste and 10 for the discharge of industrial effluents.

“Forty-six notices were also issued and eight factories were ordered to stop operating.

Additionally, we are recommending court action against two factories,” he said yesterday.

There are over 2,000 legal factories in Pasir Gudang, of which at least 252 are chemical factories.

Khuzzan said 31 students from 11 schools around Pasir Gudang experienced symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and breathing difficulties, on Thursday.

“Twenty-one were sent to health clinics nearby for treatment and only one was referred to the Sultan Ismail Hospital for further checks,” he said, adding that no new patients were admitted yesterday.

State DoE director Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar said it had distributed 108 units of multi-gas detectors to schools in the district to allow them to check the air quality.

The department, he added, had also showed the teachers how to properly handle and record the air quality around their schools.

“The schools will need to notify us if the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) reading in the air is high. Upon receiving the notification, we will go to the schools to take more accurate readings using Gasmet, which can measure more than 50 parameters in an area,” he said.

The gas detectors, said Wan Abdul Latiff, were lent to the schools until tomorrow, after which industries around Pasir Gudang were expected to provide these to the schools.

“Industries here are required to adopt the schools and provide continuous support to their adopted schools, especially in providing detectors.

“Some schools are also expected to receive air purifiers by the industries to help regulate the air quality in their premises,” he said, adding that the DoE would continue monitoring the air quality.

He said at least 26 factories had committed to providing multi-gas detectors to the schools, adding that the number of factories as well as detectors would be finalised next week after a meeting with the industries.

Pasir Gudang pollution: 11 students, pupils fall ill
Bernama New Straits Times 7 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: Eleven students and pupils at four schools in Pasir Gudang were reported to experience headache, nausea and vomiting today.

They were from Sekolah Kebangsaan Kota Masai 2, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Taman Nusa Damai, SMK Tanjung Puteri Resort and SMK Pasir Putih, which prior to this were affected by the same symptoms.

State Health, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman, Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar said that all of those affected were sent to the schools’ sick bays to rest and none were sent for screening treatment at the Pasir Gudang and Masai health clinics as of 4pm.

In addition, no new patients had been warded at the hospital and, to date, the situation was still under control, he said in a statement here today.

He added that the Department of Environment (DoE), at the same time, had conducted inspections of the 212 factories in Pasir Gudang and had issued 108 compounds for scheduled waste offences, 10 for industrial effluence and one over sewage (septic tank).

Fifty-one directives, 11 stop work orders and three court action proposals were also made.

He also urged the public who saw or suspected any suspicious activities on the dumping of illegal toxic wastes in their areas to quickly report to DoE via toll free line 1800882727 or via eaduan.doe.gov.my. -- Bernama