Owners guilty of discharging waste from their plant into waterway in Mukah
KUCHING: Three palm oil mills in Mukah which failed to comply with their licence and have contravened the Environment Quality Regulation were fined RM25,000 in default three months’ jail each at the Sessions Court in Mukah yesterday.
In the first case, a mill owner pleaded guilty to a charge of discharging untreated effluent (hydrocyclone) into a storm drain. The effluent contained substances exceeding the stipulated limits under Regulation 12(4) of the Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil) Regulation 1977.
The offence was committed at the mill premises in Mukah at 12.10am of Jan 26 last year.
Another mill owner was also fined after he admitted to have also failed to comply with regulations stipulated in the licence and for discharging fluid waste into the waterway.
The waste was found to contain substances exceeding the stipulated limits under the regulation. The offence was committed at 9.30am of April 19 last year at the mill premises in Jalan Mukah-Balingian.
Another owner of a palm oil mill at Bruit land district who also fined for polluting the waterway; discharging the mill’s waste fluid at 1.30pm of Nov 30 last year.
Judge Maruntin Pagan convicted them under Section 16(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 which is punishable under Section 16(2) of the said Act.
The section provides for a fine not exceeding RM25,000 or a jail term not exceeding two years or both on conviction. The three companies settled the fine. Officers from the state Department of Environment Gwendolyne Christopher and Imelda Lander Gregory Jimas appeared for the prosecution.