There is no real danger to public health from exposure to dioxin from the RM1.5 billion pioneer incinerator plant when it is commissioned in 2007, according to the government-appointed environmental consultant.

Perunding Utama Sdn Bhd (PU) maintained this stand in written responses to comments and concerns expressed by the public and special interest groups during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study conducted last year.

The document, made available to malaysiakini , cited international research findings that purportedly show a steady decline in the risk of dioxin-caused cancer over the last 25 years. Expert views and copies of news clippings were included.

The PU report, completed last December, was only released last Thursday, following an announcement that conditional approval had been granted for the incinerator project in Broga, Semenyih. It will be capable of treating up to 1,500 tonnes of waste daily when fully operational.

Residents, led by the Semenyih/Broga No Incinerator pro-tem action committee, continue to oppose the project that received the green light from the Department of Environment (DOE) on May 28.

'Non-issue'

Ever since the project site was relocated to Broga in late 2002, residents and international scientists have consistently challenged official assurances of safety.

Their research focused on three crucial concerns - dioxin poisoning , use of unproven technology and the track record of the Japanese company engaged to design, build and operate the plant.

Responding to the dioxin issue, PU claimed that the risk of cancer from exposure was "less than one per million of exposed individuals over a lifetime of exposure duration of 70 years".

It equated the risk to a single exposure to a chest X-ray over a 70-year period. It further said dioxin-poisoning through inhalation was "highly unlikely" because food consumption is usually the main route for exposure, "contributing more than 90 percent of (cases of) total exposure".

Citing figures from the country's first National Cancer Registry, PU said it had found that one out of every six people in Peninsular Malaysia faced a lifetime cancer risk.

"This is far in excess of the lifetime cancer risk predicted for exposures to carcinogens from the proposed Broga plant which shows (that only) nine out of every 10 million residents (are at risk) for the 150m smoke stack."

Dismissing the risk of dioxin contamination through the food chain as a non-issue, PU said an average Broga resident is reasonably expected to consume food produced elsewhere as well.

"Eventually, dioxins in the atmosphere will dissipate into the soil, water and vegetation and may find their way into the human food chain. But, it is very unlikely that the diet of an average Broga resident will contain a significant proportion of the food grown, caught or produced (locally)," its report said.

"One would rightly assume that a Broga resident would get his supply of rice from Kedah or Thailand, his fish from the Straits of Malacca and his vegetables from Cameron Highlands. Even most of his chicken and palm oil will be sourced from outside the area."

Concerns over the safety of outgoing Broga produce were nullified on the same basis, but with the added caveat that the Food Act 1983 and the Food Regulation 1985 would ensure that these comply with standards for dioxin contamination.

Currently, there are no laws governing dioxin emission or standards in Malaysia. The proposed maximum dioxin emission level is based on the minimum European standard of 0.1ng TEQ/m3.

'Improved technology'

Tackling technology-related matters, PU claimed that advances in recent years, particularly in Japan, have shown that problems encountered in the past can be overcome.

"Japanese technocrats have been able to refine the gasification process effectively to handle

municipal solid waste (MSW) as shown by the number of such plants that have been commercially operating, or are being constructed, in Japan," it said, offering the operations of two Japanese plants as examples.

"The ash-melting furnace has been operating for more than six years. There are many other such existing furnaces in the world of a larger capacity than that proposed in Broga."

The Kawaguchi plant, with a daily capacity of 420 tonnes for MSW, has the largest commercially operated fluidised-bed gasifier and ash-melting furnace, while the Aomori plant uses the same technology to treat up to 450 tonnes of industrial waste a day.

To further support its claim of commercial success of Japanese-built plants, the report said similar technology is being used at a German-developed gasification/pyrolisis plant that was recently commissioned in West Falen, Germany.

"Gasification/pyrolisis is also being actively pursued in North America. (It) is now considered a well-proven and reliable technology in not only treating MSW but also maximising the recovery of resources from discards."

PU said problems encountered in Europe with gasification of MSW was generally due to past failures, although European emission standards are deemed to be the most stringent in the world.

On the method of disposal of highly toxic fly- and bottom-ash from the incinerator, the report noted that this could "be disposed into any sanitary landfill" including the one being developed in Rawang or at existing sanitary landfills.

German scientist Ingo Godeke had earlier said that fly-ash and bottom-ash are both highly toxic dust generated by the burning of waste and categorised as hazardous waste, which have to be handled the same way as nuclear waste.

PU was further of the opinion that the location of the plant in the Semenyih water catchment area was of "little concern" in relation to the Jenderam intake point, which is further downstream.

It said tests have revealed "insignificant impact to the water quality of Sungai Semenyih".

In addition, wastewater from the plant will be treated to meet "Standard A of the Sewage and Industrial Effluents Regulations and most will be recycled (internally)".

According to experts, however, existing water treatment plants in the country are not equipped to detect toxic contaminants.