Why Is Pulau Burung Landfill On Fire Again Asks Ngo

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The thick plume of smoke from the Pulau Burung landfill fire as seen from a distance.PETALING JAYA: The public needs to know why Penang’s largest landfill near Nibong Tebal caught fire yet again, sending plumes of smoke into the air, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said today.
“All relevant authorities and PMB Terang Sdn Bhd, the company managing the Pulau Burung landfill, must investigate and reveal to the public the cause of these fires,” she said in a statement.
She said that the fires that started on Jan 11 had caused a large part of the landfill area to burn, with an estimated burning area of about 4.05ha.
Several media reports state that the fire and rescue departments from Nibong Tebal, Sungai Bakap and Bayan Baru have begun efforts to put out the blaze, but the fires have yet to be brought under control.

“Air pollution from the fires have affected areas like Kampung Baru Byram, Kampung Changkat, Kampung Bagan Buaya, Kampung Titi Hitam, Kampung Pengkalan, Kampung Jawi and Taman Perumahan Desa Jawi,”
“SAM is very concerned because we can’t ascertain what is in the pile of garbage on site that caused these uncontrolled fires, as they could release toxic gases,” she said.
Meenakshi added that the air pollution from these fires can indirectly affect the health of the public, especially those with existing health conditions, the elderly and children.
FMT had previously reported on fires at the same landfill in February and July last year. - FMT

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