'Kuantan Port trying to avoid taking blame for pollution'
PKR has challenged Kuantan Port Consortium (KPC) Sdn Bhd to provide other explanations that could have contributed to the “red sea” phenomenon.
This follows KPC's denial that bauxite mining activities has polluted areas around Pantai Balok and Pantai Batu Hitam, Kuantan.
PKR environmental bureau chairperson Lee Chean Chung in a statement today claimed that KPC chief operating officer Khasbullah A Kadir was merely trying to wash his hands off claims that the company’s bauxite mining activities had contributed to river and sea pollution.
“KPC in its statement has attempted to relieve itself of the responsibility (for pollution) by making claims that the river flowing to the ocean in Pantai Balok and Pantai Batu Hitam is not connected to Sungai Pengorak.
“This, however, does not mean that there is no pollution around Kuantan Port or Sungai Pengorak,” said the Semambu assemblyperson who provided several photographs taken around Kuantan Port.
Lee challenged KPC to explain the situation as captured in the photographs and whether it can be described as a source of pollution.
“This is not the first time such a situation has occurred and it is most irresponsible of KPC to reach a conclusion that pollution at Pantai Balok is not caused by pollution around the port,” he said, adding that KPC must also explain the source of mercury detected in water samples taken from Sungai Pengorak.
Aside from stressing that the rivers leading out to the sea at the two areas are not connected to Sungai Pengorak , Khasbullah also said KPC had been filtering the water discharge from the port to Sungai Pengorak.
Malaysian bauxite export spiked 1,100 percent year-on-year in 2014 to become China's top supplier, after Indonesia banned exports to encourage the growth of the local aluminum industry.
Bauxite washing generates large amounts of waste water that is often poorly stored and it seeps into rivers, potentially poisoning them with heavy metals and further deepening Kuantan's growing woes.
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