Consider safer waste disposal technologies
The Sun, Monday, January 6, 2003
I refer to Malcome Rozario's letter "The right solution to a burning issue". ( The Sun, Jan 3 ) in which he had endorsed the gasification and ash melting technology as the best solution to Kuala Lumpur 's waste problem.
In reality, the technology is only four years old and remains a dubious and un proven one.
Hence, we should not blindly cite the usage of such technology in other countries to argue for its implementation locally without taking stock of the real health hazards involved.
Chapter 3 of the Environmental Impact Assessment report on the Kampung Bohol incinerator (now scrapped) had stated that all gasification plants constructed in Japan for municipal solid waste are still at the pilot phase.
Moreover, it would be a folly to underestimate the dangers of dioxins, which have been classified as the most toxic chemical known to the human race.
The argument that dioxins are no threat at environment tally permissible levels is our moded and not entirely sound as the US Environmental Protection Agency had stated that there is no level of exposure to dioxins that can be considered safe.
The agency had also published for consultation a review which concludes that dioxins could be some 1,000 times more toxic than previously thought.
In addition, the British Journal of Cancer reported that people living within 7.35km of municipal waste incinerators have a higher likelihood of developing cancer.
Clearly then, the 500m distance of the proposed Broga incinerator from the nearest residential location hardly suffices as it falls well short of the internationally accepted standard.
As an alternative the government should seriously consider giving more disposal technologies such as Material Recovering Facilities (MRF) and Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) which are proven and more environmentally benign as compared to incinerators and landfills.
The MRF process segregates different recyclable materials such as PVC, glass, aluminum, iron, plastic, materials before turning all other non-recyclable municipal garbage into solid pellets that can be used as building materials.
As for RDF, it converts the combustible matter in municipal solid waste into fuel pellets that can be used as a source of energy.
The MRF and RDF methods would contribute greatly towards resolving the problem of garbage disposal and are definitely in line with the new regulations on waste manage by Housing and Local Government minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting which will require every Malaysian to recycle reusable materials instead of dumping or burning them as rubbish.
John Chung
Petaling Jaya
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