Landfill fumes are worrying


ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) is extremely concerned that the fire in the Pulau Burung landfill in Penang is still burning underground although the fire on the surface was reportedly extinguished and under control. The toxic fumes engulfing the area has prompted the evacuation of about 400 residents nearby as well as schools (“Pulau Burung landfill fire: 10 schools within 10km of blaze ordered closed for three days”, The Star, Jan 18; bit.ly/star_landfill).

On Jan 14, SAM asked the state and other relevant authorities to investigate and report the cause of the fire. We have learned that the landfill caught fire a number of times last year, and in previous years there were complaints of leachate from the landfill polluting water in the area and also damaging nearby mangrove forests.

Subscribe now and receive FREE sooka plan for 1 month.
T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Letters

How will the US election affect us?
Don’t stifle developmental role of public universities
Building more hospitals not the answer
Investing in healthcare's future: RM60mil in annual nursing scholarships
An Asean military education
Expand early voting to all Malaysians
What energy economics entail in Malaysia
China-Asean free trade area 3.0: Opening a new chapter in regional cooperation
Singapore model offers insight into legal qualification
The journey towards a better digital economy

Others Also Read