Ten days ago, I had asked the Selangor state government to make public the Health Ministry’s report on weather water supplied from the eight ex mining ponds met Malaysian Water Quality Standards.
I had suggested that recent research pointed to heavy metal pollution in Bestari Jaya mining ponds. And transferring water into Sungai Selangor amounts to polluting the river. And treatment plants cannot treat or clean heavy metal or toxic pollution. This has implications for public health.
Since then local academics – geologists and chemists – have warned against the use of mining water as alternative water source due to heavy metal toxicity.
A main-stream paper ran a front page story exposing the different levels of toxicity in our drinking water.
This has created a justifiable fear among the people weather they are exposed to toxic drinking water.
Two days ago Lembaga Urusan Air Selangor (LUAS) threatened to “take legal action against any party that intentionally or unintentionally gives the wrong impression on the quality of raw water and treated water”.
I find such intimidating statements irresponsible, especially coming from state linked agencies tasked with a social responsibility.
It’s ironic how an agency dedicated to manage water sources can dismiss years of academic research and findings of experts in the field whose research has been published in reputable journals.
Evidence as recent as 2010 and 2012 shows that most of physio-chemical parameters and metals concentration found in Bestari Jaya exceeds the permissible limits set by Malaysian Water Quality Standards. In fact, fish and plants in the mine area were exposed to heavy metal toxicity.
Moreover, LUAS has not provided any credible analysis refuting the conclusions and findings of the researchers.
In fact, the agency had not publically disclosed Health Ministry’s certification that mine pond water from the eight ponds conforms to the Malaysian Water Quality Standards.
And there is no evidence indicating that LUAS has treated and rehabilitated the various mine ponds over the years to suggest that mine water is safe for human consumption.
The agencies inability to assuage public fears and concerns effectively through credible explanations and evidence exposes its weakness. Using threats in the form of law suits undermines public confidence in the agency.
Thus LUAS has no basis in issuing threats with the view to intimidating the public and stake- holders from raising concerns of public health.
I call upon the Selangor state government as a matter of urgency to instruct LUAS to reveal whether the following heavy metals – arsenic, chromium , copper, lead, zinc and tin – found in the ponds meet Malaysian Water Quality Standards.
Furthermore, the agency has to publically disclose health ministry’s certification in order to assuage public health concerns.
If such information is not forthcoming as part of the agencies standard operating procedure, then it will be LUAS that will be confronted with public scrutiny including law suits.