PETALING JAYA: The Kedah Department of Environment (JAS) has shut down a recycling factory suspected of illegally processing used plastic into fish feed pellets during Ops Patuh, an integrated operation with the police and the Immigration Department today.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stated that the inspection conducted at 11am uncovered about 100 tonnes of processed pellets packed in plastic labelled as freshwater fish food, along with an additional 100 tons of unprocessed used plastic, as reported by Harian Metro.
In a separate raid, over 1,500 tons of electronic waste material were confiscated from another recycling factory.
Both of the factories now face action under Equipment Operation Detention of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 for operating production machines without proper control devices.
“The raids were carried out at two factories conducting off-site recovery of scheduled waste (e-waste) without Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval and a licence from DOE, as well as plastic recycling activities without EIA,“ he said.
The premises were also investigated under multiple sections of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, including operating without licence and improper handling of scheduled waste.
“Investigation papers for prosecution purposes will also be prepared for all offences under AKAS 1974,“ he added.
According to Environment Department records, there are 3,526 premises from various industrial sectors operating in Kedah.
“Until June 2024, DOE had successfully carried out 544 enforcement inspections of industries in Kedah. A total of 359 enforcement actions have been taken, including issuing instruction notices for improvement actions, issuing compounds, stopping the operation of equipment, suspending licence, and preparing investigation papers for prosecution,“ he said.
Nik Nazmi said the minister is focused on ongoing efforts to ensure industry compliance with environmental laws.
“NRES also welcomes the proposal to expand the concept of ‘gated and guarded’ industrial areas so that the management, control, and supervision of these industries can be easily carried out by relevant agencies. The smart surveillance initiative that uses CCTV in industrial areas and ‘hotspots’ is a proactive step in curbing scheduled waste disposal and other crimes,“ he added.
