KUCHING: The Sessions Court in Bintulu has fined the owner of a palm oil mill in Bintulu RM20,000 in default three months imprisonment on Thursday for discharging harmful effluent.
Wawasan Sedar Palm Oil Mill was found to have discharged treated effluent watercourse containing substances in concentrations exceeding the stipulated limits under Regulation 12(4), Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil) Regulations 1977 on May 13, two years ago.
Analysis conducted on the effluent found the concentration of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) to be 104 mg/l at 30 degrees Celcius for three days, exceeding the limit of 20 mg/l while the concentration of Suspended Solids (SS) was 138 mg/l, exceeding the 100 mg/l limit.
Both contravened the Condition No. 2.1.6 (i) and (ii) of the Compliance Schedule No. JPKKS 000669A of Licence No. 000669, which is an offence under Section 16(1) Environmental Quality Act 1974 and punishable under Section 16(2) of the same act.
According to a statement issued by the state Department of Environment yesterday, the case was mentioned before Bintulu Sessions Court with Shaliza Shaharum and Orlando Jurid as prosecuting officers and Jason Juga as presiding judge.
The statement said any licence holder who contravenes Section 16(1) Environmental Quality Act 1974 shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding RM25,000, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both.
“A further fine of RM1,000 for every day the offence is continued after a notice from the director-general to comply with such terms or conditions specified therein has been served upon him (the owner),” ended the statement.