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The Cameron Highlands: 10 years left before the Mother of all catastrophes?
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The incinerator was built to deal with the waste but it is now causing air pollution!
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Cameron no longer green, after incinerator black smoke
Cameron no longer green, after incinerator black smoke http://twib.in/l/aM8k45LqKeA | https://twibble.io
Cameron Highlands Blue Valley, a plateau at 1,300 metres above sea level, is said to be a paradise for growing vegetables and fruit.
Now that an incinerator has been built there to deal with the waste, residents and activists say it is no longer a green haven.
Since the plant began operating in June this year, it has been releasing black smoke and waste water, which caused panic and anxiety among the Cameron Highlands residents.
Worried about the health effects, more than 50 people yesterday gathered outside the Cameron Highlands incinerator plant with banners in hand, chanting ‘Say no to waste incinerator’.
They demanded the government immediately suspend the incinerator operations.
The residents had wanted to enter the premises but was stopped by the management who said they need a letter of approval before entering the plant.
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/317997
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17 June 2010
Malaysiakini
CAP: Scrap Blue Valley incinerator project
Malaysians who consume vegetable produce from Cameron Highlands may face the risk of toxic chemical poisoning if an incinerator is put into operation in the highlands’ Blue Valley, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) warns.
CAP wants the government to scrap the incinerator project as it will poison the environment, people and the food supply with poisonous chemicals.
In a statement today, CAP president SM Mohamed Idris said there was plenty of evidence to prove the harmful effects of incinerator emissions and ashes.
“Cancer, birth defects, reproductive system dysfunction, neurological damage and respiratory ailments are only some of the health effects known to occur from very low exposure to many of the heavy metals, chlorine and other pollutants released by incinerators,” he said.
Work on the RM38 million incinerator, being undertaken by Housing and Local Government Ministry about a kilometre from the Blue Valley tea plantation, started in 2008 and was due to be completed in February this year, but work on it is still going on.
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2010
Scrap Thermal Treatment Plant Project In Cameron Highlands
The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) objects the installation of the thermal treatment plant in Cameron Highlands as it is would poison our environment, bodies, and food supply with toxic chemicals. There are alternatives to incineration which are cheaper, more flexible and better for the environment.
The Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the proposed thermal treatment project in Cameron Highlands states that the proposed technology was tested using a pilot plant. This reveals that the proposed technology derives largely from a laboratory experiment and is unproven in large-scale, real-world situation.
Since there is no existing actual data of emissions performance, feasibility and cost-effectiveness for a thermal treatment plant of similar capacity as the proposed plant in Cameron Highlands, how can it be assured that the plant would perform and be able to comply with emission standards?
We are concerned how an assessment can be made based on assumptions and without any actual indication whether the air pollution control system which is going to be installed would work. A flawed assessment based on assumptions would bring about negative consequences to public health and environment.
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We urge the government to cancel the building of the incinerator project in Cameron Highlands. Rather than incinerating waste, local authorities should focus on waste minimisation, maximise composting, safe recycling or providing separate food and organic waste collection for treatment by composting. The area proposed for the incinerator in Cameron Highlands can be converted as a material recovery facility.
S. M. MOHAMED IDRIS
President
Note: The thermal treatment facility is a project of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, and the incinerator will be managed by the Department of National Solid Waste Management. Technology provider is XCN Technology Sdn Bhd.
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weehingthong 