THERE are plans to build a waste resource centre on the site of a massive illegal dumpsite in Machang Bubok, Bukit Mertajam on mainland Penang.

The centre will be equipped with facilities to recycle construction and demolition waste into infrastructure resources such as interlocking bricks and road curbs.

The site on Bukit Teh, a former sand mine the size of six football fields, was last month exposed to be “the largest illegal dumpsite” the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) had ever come across.

Penang environment exco Phee Boon Poh said approval was yet to be granted for the building of the centre because the environment impact assessment (EIA), social impact assessment (SIA) and traffic impact assessment (TIA) reports were yet to be obtained.

He said regardless of the plans for the site, the land owner still has to apply for a permit to dump waste there.

“Any waste dumping before approval is granted is illegal. The law will be enforced,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Phee stressed that action would be taken over the illegal dumping, adding that the site must be cleared.

“They have to clear the land. Any (illegal) dumping now, action will be taken.”

The special committee set up to look into the case was still working to identify the parties responsible for dumping waste on the site.

The Star reported today that waste continued to be dumped on the site even though MPSP had issued multiple notices to the landowner for abatement of nuisance, erection of an illegal structure,  operating without a licence and conducting illegal earthworks.

The landowner was ordered to clear the site of waste and return it to its original state in 20 days. The deadline has just ended, but not only has the waste remain uncleared, piles of discarded furniture, plastic waste, and construction debris are newly arrived at the site surrounded by oil palm plantations and chicken farms, according to The Star.

It is learnt that the landowner has asked for the deadline to be extended for compliance with some of the notices.

There is talk that some parties are getting paid to illegally dump waste there.

Phee said Penang had adopted a zero discharge policy, moving away from dumpsites to green waste disposal methods  policies that turn wastes into new resources.

With segregation at source, different types of waste would be recycled accordingly.

“Food waste collection for biogas will be implemented. Green waste will be used for composting,” he said.

Through the Waste Generator Pays policy, he said, the manufacturing and construction industries will have to pay for the waste they generate by weight.

The cost will encourage waste reduction by big businesses, which all this while have only to pay haulers to dump their waste at landfills.

On what the local council was doing about the illegal Bukit Teh dumpsite, MPSP councillor Bernard Cheen said enforcement was ongoing.

He said while the council did not post guards at the site around the clock, spot checks were conducted four times a day to catch lorries going in to dump waste.

“Our enforcement officers caught some,” said the MPSP licensing and enforcement standing committee member.

On March 21, MPSP seized a 10-tonne lorry carrying waste to the site, and on March 28, two containers of waste were seized. 

Cheen said the council wanted the landowner to fence up the site.

“We are contacting the owner to meet the council to deal with the issue. I hear he is not a local.

“We want him to stop the illegal dumping for now, and to cordon off the land and not leave it wide open like this.” – April 12, 2019.