DoE completing investigation papers on Pulau Burung landfill fire

Its director-general Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said the investigation was being conducted under Section 29A and Section 34A of the Environmental Quality Act (AKAS) 1974 for open burning and compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements.

"DOE will continue to monitor air quality in the area using a portable particulate analyser at identified locations.

"Portable gas analysers are placed in sensitive areas to measure the presence of toxic gases around the solid waste landfill area," he said in a statement here today.

Wan Abdul Latiff also said that DoE had set up a mobile air quality monitoring station at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Ladang Byram, Nibong Tebal, Penang.

He said, the station was set up to measure air quality and obtain Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in the affected areas.

"Although the fire had been completely extinguished, the decomposition process of the waste that is taking place on the site has produced flammable methane gas," he said.

He explained that the process was not influenced by the geological condition of the soil in the area as it is not of the peatland type that is flammable.

"Based on the study under the Fire Prevention and Flammable Peatland Management Programme to Overcome Haze in Malaysia by DOE in 2019 and the Peatland Distribution Map by the Malaysian Department of Agriculture, Penang does not have peatlands that can be associated with this fire," he said.

The landfill fire incident in Nibong Tebal, Penang was reported at about 5 pm on Jan 12 and nearby residents were asked to evacuate to a relief centre, while 10 schools in the vicinity were ordered to close.

It was declared a level one disaster area based on the National Security Council (MKN) No. 20 directive after the fire there polluted the surrounding area and posed a risk to health.