Illegal waste-dumping by approved collectors

Friday August 17, 2007
By DHARMENDER SINGH

KAPAR: Week-long surveillance by the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) has found garbage collection contractors from at least three local authorities dumping waste illegally at a plot of land in Kampung Bukit Kapar here.

Selangor Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ch’ng Toh Eng said enforcement officers from MPK had photographs of the lorries belonging to contractors from Klang, Subang Jaya and Shah Alam councils.

“All the councils responsible have been told to check the registration numbers of the lorries photographed to identify the contractors involved and we will terminate their contracts immediately,” he told reporters after visiting the illegal dump together with officials from MPK and the Department Of Environment (DOE) on Friday.

He also sounded a warning to contractors that the state government would not tolerate any breach of contract, especially when it involved illegal dumping, and would take strict action against errant contractors.

Ch’ng said in the Kampung Bukit Kapar case, the contractor would face action for illegal dumping while the landowner would face action for flouting environment laws.

“We are also investigating to find out if there are people `managing’ this illegal dump and if so we will also take action against them,” he said.

He said surveillance at the illegal dump was carried out following complaints from nearby villagers over the illegal dumping and the foul smell emitted from the area.

He said the illegal activities had been carried out for the last two months and some of the waste had also been set on fire.

Ch’ng added that the contractors were supposed to send the waste to the dumpsite in Jeram, located about 10km from Kapar, but chose to take the easy way out by dumping at the illegal site