KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — The government’s plan to dispose of solid waste cleanly and effectively has hit a snag as only one of the four designated incinerator plants is operational, the Auditor-General’s Report Series 1 revealed today.
The report noted that only the incinerator in Tioman is operational, while the plants in Cameron Highlands, Langkawi and Pangkor have yet to become so.
As a result, the stated objectives of disposing of solid waste through technologically-proven, affordable and environmentally-friendly methods has stalled.
The report called for the incinerator plains in Cameron Highlands, Langkawi and Pangkor to be quickly repaired and made operational, as existing solid waste disposal sites have insufficient space to accommodate more.
The audit also indicated that for the three plants, the operational servicing contracts signed by the plants’ operating companies also did not specify the phases of repair works, including the implementation of testing and commission.
Similarly, the contracts do not specify any fines or penalty if repair works are not completed.
The sole operating plant in Tioman is also under scrutiny, as the report said it is actually operating without a proper license. Under Sections 14 and 16 of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, a license must be obtained through the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) with the appropriate supporting documents.
The company in charge of Tioman’s plant obtained the operating duration contract which runs from March 15, 2018 to March 14, 2021. The company submitted a license application on April 8 last year, well over a year after the contract began.
Six months after the application was submitted, on September 30, SWCorp submitted its report recommending its approval to the National Solid Waste Management Department (JPSPN). This was not in compliance with Section 18 of the Act which states SWCorp has 60 days from the application date to make its recommendation.
It was later revealed the lengthy period of time taken for the application was due to the lack of full supporting documents that ought to have been submitted by the operating company.
The Tioman plant’s pollution output also came under scrutiny, as the report stated a laboratory analysis dated to November 11 indicated that while the gas/smoke emission for heavy metal concentration was in line, the emission of carbon monoxides and sulfur oxides exceeded the standards set by the Environmental Department.
The Auditor-General also looked at a number of waste disposal sites and discovered that nine out of the 11 sites reviewed did not meet the standards of the pollution leachate assessment test.
The government allocated RM336.08 million to JPSPN, SWCorp, and the Housing and Local Government Ministry from 2016 to 2019 for the handling and management of solid waste disposal.