Labuan DOE hauls up several industrial premises

LABUAN: The Labuan Department of Environment (DOE) took legal action against several industrial premises for causing pollution in the first quarter of this year. 
Its director Yaras Yusup said the owners of these premises were hauled up for breaching the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009 and Environmental Quality Act 1974.
Investigation papers were being prepared for court action to be taken against two operators for illegal release of industrial effluent, he said.
He said another operator was issued a compound of RM4,000 for conducting open burning activities without a permit, which is an offence under Section 29A (3) of the Environmental Quality Act.
“We take environmental issues seriously and all these cases were recorded in the first three months of this year,” he told Bernama today.
He said another two industrial premises found to have committed environmental offences were compounded RM12,000 and RM8,000.
We also have submitted investigation papers in relation to environmental offences by another two industrial premises to the Sabah deputy public prosecutor office for further action,” he said.
Yaras said the department had installed several monitoring stations, including marine water monitoring stations at Rusukan Kecil and Rusukan Besar, to check pollution levels.
“Should there be pollution on land, at sea or in the air we can detect it as the reading at these stations will go up,” he said.
Meanwhile, Labuan DOE held an environmental awareness camp for school students on July 15 in conjunction with the World Environment Day 2023.
— BERNAMA