PORT DICKSON: Department of Environment officials have taken samples from several spots in Chuah near here following residents’ suspicions that a pitch-black liquid flowing in a river may be dumped oil.

State climate change committee chairman S. Veerapan said a DOE team was immediately dispatched to the scene yesterday (Aug 4) after it received a complaint via its eAduan system.

Veerapan, who also holds the state entrepreneurship, human resources, cooperatives and consumerism portfolios, said the complainants claimed the spill was spotted near a land scheme in Chuah and it flowed till the Gate B tide control gate.

"The residents claimed the flow was extremely black and they believed it was oil.

"The DOE team took samples found in stagnant puddles on a plot of land, the river, drainage and contaminated soil to establish what the black liquid was," he said in a statement today (Monday, Aug 5).

He said the samples have been sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis as DOE continues to monitor the situation including using a drone to check for nearby illegal dumping.

Veerapan said the DOE will also issue notices under Section 31 and 37 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 once it identifies the owner of the land where the black liquid was found.

Section 31 among others requires the landowner to dispose of environmentally hazardous substances, pollutants or wastes.

Under Section 37, the landowner is also required to furnish information on the use of raw materials, environmentally hazardous substances, pollutants or waste on their property and any risk that is likely to result from this.

"I would also like to emphasise that environmental management is a shared responsibility and inefficiency in managing it will have a negative impact on everyone," he said, adding that stern action will be taken against those responsible for polluting the environment.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/05/doe-investigating-pitch-black-liquid-suspected-to-be-oil-found-in-chuah-river