Commenting on KPC’s denials that the pollution was due extensively to bauxite mining activities at its port, veteran environmentalist, Prof Maketab Mohamed said there was photographic evidence that showed otherwise.
He said Google Earth images and photos from the ground especially from KPC apartments just beside bauxite stockpiles within their boundaries, contradicted KPC’s claims, and that they were ultimately responsible for the pollution of the waters in Kuantan.
“They are responsible for not having port standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling loose ore like bauxite.
“The ore is not bagged or covered in the stockpile.”
The former Malaysian Nature Society president also said KPC was not doing enough to contain the situation and criticised them for failing to protect their own workers living in the apartments.
He said the bauxite dust entering their workers’ homes compromised their health and that of their loved ones due to the presence of Particulate Matter 10 or below dust generated by the stockpiles.
Maketab also dismissed a statement by KPC chief operations officer, Khasbullah A Kadir urging NGOs not to get too emotional over the issue and discuss all claims of bauxite pollution with the KPC in an objective manner.
“I am not emotional but I empathise with the public and KPC workers whose health is affected by the ignorant KPC,” he said adding that it was KPC’s workers, the general public and the environment that paid the price for the company’s incompetence.
Maketab also explained that the total suspended solids that recently caused the waters to turn red contained heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium zinc, aluminium and copper amongst others that would pollute the sea and made it unsafe for humans to swim in.
In the long run, he cautioned, these heavy metals could accumulate in the shellfishes as well as fishes in the rivers and the sea through bioaccumulation.
On Tuesday, Bernama reported that Khasbullah had refuted allegations that the waters at Balok river and Batu Hitam Beach had turned red due to the extensive bauxite mining activities at its port.
He said KPC had a systematic water control and filter system to ensure water flowing into Sungai Penggorak and out to sea was not polluted with bauxite.
Khasbullah said pictures taken during the incident on December 29 showed the sea area around Kuantan Port was blue and only slightly red at the dock.