THE black spots in Sg Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang, have been identified as non-hazardous waste materials discharged by various factories nearby, said Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

“Actually what happened was not toxic waste pollution,” he said in denying an allegation in a newspaper report yesterday that the black spots were from the discharge of toxic waste.

“From the samples taken, we found they were actually just normal pollution (discharge) from factories and not hazardous to the residents, unlike the pollution that happened in 2019.”

He told reporters this after visiting Sg Kim Kim in Jalan Keluli 10 today to check on the allegation that the black spots in the river could possibly involve the discharge of more toxic chemical wastes similar to the tragedy that occurred two years ago.

He said if the latest “pollution” had happened for the past one month, as reported, then surely the Department of Environment (DoE) would have found out as  the river is being regularly monitored by the DoE.

Meanwhile, he said the ministry would focus on working together with the community, such as the private sector, universities and civil society groups, in driving efforts to control pollution in the river through the Sg Kim Kim Trail project.

The project, which began today, is expected to revitalise the previously polluted river. – Bernama, March 9, 2021.