SEBERANG PERAI, Feb 17 — The Department of Environment (DoE) issued a RM18,000 fine to a food manufacturing plant in Seberang Perai here after the factory was found to have released effluents into the Perai River.
Penang DoE director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said it investigated reports of pollution and cases of dead fish floating in the river yesterday and suspected the source to be one of the food-based manufacturing plants in Perai.
“We received information from the public that the river was polluted with white foam and upon further investigation, we found that it was due to the release of effluents from the cleaning and processing activities of the food-based factory there,” she said.
She said the DoE issued a notice to the factory to immediately stop releasing effluents into the river, and at the same time, issued a compound fine against the factory under the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluents) Regulations 2009.
“We have also issued a notice to the factory under Section 31 and 37 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 so that the factory will take steps to prevent effluents from being released into the river before it can resume operations,” she said.
She said the DoE will increase monitoring along the Perai River as well as its vicnity.
“We thank the public for reporting this and we encourage the public to lodge any complaints on pollution,” she said.
The public can call DoE’s toll free line 1-800-88-2727 or email to aduan_k@doe.gov.my or go to https://eaduan.doe.gov.my to lodge their complaints.