Will A Waste Incinerator In Kepong Do More Harm Than Good?
The residents of Kepong are fiercely opposing the idea of building a waste incinerator in Taman Beringin yet Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan says it is very much needed.
By Mei Mei Chu — 14 Jul 2014, 06:12 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
The Residents Of Kepong Have Long Been Opposing The Proposal To Set Up A Waste Incinerator In Taman Beringin
ABOUT 800 Kepong residents showed up at the Metropolitan Park in Kepong recently to sign a petition against a proposed waste incineration facility in Taman Beringin, Kepong. Dr Tan said that since August 2013, some 7,000 residents had signed the petition.
thestar.com.my“It is disappointing that there was no attempt at organising a dialogue with the residents. “It seems like they are going ahead with the idea very quickly when they should take the time to hear our concerns and suggestions.” “We just want to know why they chose to build the facility in the middle of a densely populated area,” he said.
thestar.com.my“The fumes released into the air could reach all the way to the city centre and affect a lot of people. “The Kepong Metropolitan Park, where many families come to exercise, and Selayang Hospital are only five minutes away. “The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), an important green lung, is also located close by and could be affected.
thestar.com.myHowever, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan Has Stepped Up To Say That There Is A Need For The Incinerator
Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan Has Stepped Up To Say That There Is A Need For An Incinerator In Kepong
Image via themalaysiantimes.com.myHe said the people must realise there was a need for an incinerator in the Klang Valley as the amount of waste generated daily would overwhelm current disposal methods in seven years. There are also plans to build incinerators in Malacca and Johor Baru.
themalaysianinsider.com
He said he was being proactive, as rubbish was mounting and landfills were scarce. At present, all Klang Valley rubbish is sent to the Taman Beringin waste transfer station to be compacted, before being transferred to Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill, 80km away.
themalaysianinsider.com
"Sometimes, the government has to make the tough decisions, even when people oppose. They will eventually understand if you keep engaging with them and are transparent. This is to benefit the community. Malaysians want world-class facilities but they are not willing to pay for it," said Rahman.
He said the authorities had even sent opposition members of parliament and incinerator opponents to Tokyo, Japan, to see how incinerators were placed besides schools and hospitals without any problems.
themalaysianinsider.com
Malaysia Generates 33,000 Tonnes Of Garbage Daily, And The Numbers Are Increasing. The Current Taman Beringin Waste Transfer Station Is Already Over-Capacitated With 2,400 Tonnes Of Daily Waste.
Malaysia Generates 33,000 Tonne Of Garbage Daily, With An Annual Growth Of 3.4%.
Image via naturemillaseanMalaysia reportedly generates 33,000 tonnes of garbage a day, with a projected growth of 3.4% annually. The proposed site for the incinerator in Taman Beringin is at the present site that houses a waste transfer station and handles a total of 2,400 tonnes of waste every day, above its 1,700 tonne capacity.
fz.com
"Bukit Tagar will soon be edging urbanisation, then what? We will still need the Bukit Tagar landfill as the incinerator can only take 1,000 tonnes of waste, the rest will go to the landfill. We also need landfill for the ash from the incinerator." At present, the Taman Beringin waste transfer station handles 2,500 tonnes of waste.
yahoo.comThe Proposed Incinerator Would Be Able To Handle Up To 1,500 Tonnes Of Waste A Day. This Would Accommodate The Excess 1,7000 Tonnes Of Daily Waste At Taman Beringin.
The Current Taman Beringin Waste Transfer Station Is Over-Capacitated With 2,400 Tonne Of Waste Every Day.
Image via cy-en.comIt has been reported that the incinerator, the first to be built in the Klang Valley, will cost RM800mil and be able to handle up to 1,500 tonnes of waste daily.
thestar.com.myNational Solid Waste Management Department director-general Datuk Nadzri Yahaya had announced that the tender for the project, which was open to Malaysian and foreign contractors, would be called as early as this September 2013. He said an evaluation and environmental impact assessment study, which was expected to take about nine months, would be carried out before construction began.
thestar.com.myRahman Says Malaysian Need To Remove The "Not In My Backyard" Mentality As Taman Beringin Is the Best Location For An Incinerator. There Would Be A Negative Pressure Chamber To Stop The Foul Odour.
Rahman Says Malaysian Need To Remove The "Not In My Backyard" Mentality As Taman Beringin Is the Best Location For An Incinerator
Image via freemalaysiatoday.comRahman said that Malaysians should remove the "not in my backyard" mentality and have a picnic in the landfills, to understand why he was proposing an incinerator.
themalaysianinsider.com
He said he understood no one wanted an incinerator in his backyard, but it had to be placed somewhere. As the Taman Beringin waste transfer site has been gazetted for such uses, he said that it was the best location. Rahman also said the Taman Beringin waste transfer station would be upgraded and would have a negative pressure chamber to stop foul odour emitting from the waste.
yahoo.comRahman said with some of the waste incinerated on site, there would be fewer lorries to Bukit Tagar, therefore, reducing the carbon footprint.
"We cannot be waiting 40 more years, and I am proposing a waste-to-energy plant, not an incinerator only – which will produce energy. If you send the waste to Bukit Tagar, there will be no energy derived."
On The Kuala Lumpur Tak Nak Insinerator (KTI) Claiming That The Project Would Cost RM800 Million, Rahman Says There Would Be No Gains From The Project
Kuala Lumpur Tak Nak Insinerator (KTI) Claims That The Project Would Cost RM800 Million.
Image via mkini.netHe is obviously frustrated that the residents of Kepong are dead against the incinerator plan. He is also not happy that the people are accusing him of proposing incinerators which can bring harm and denies that he has something to gain from the project.
"The ministry will only be paying the tipping fee per tonne of waste incinerated and will not pay a single sen for the construction of the waste to energy plants. "That is the successful bidder's responsibility," Rahman told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the outlay for such incinerators.
themalaysianinsider.com
But he did not mention the cost of the incinerator although the residents' group Kuala Lumpur Tak Nak Insinerator (KTI) had claimed that the incinerator would cost at least RM800 million.
Rahman Explains That He Is Trying His Best To Engage With Kepong Residents, But KTI's And DAP Ong Kian Ming's Fight Against The Incinerator Have Been Undoing His Efforts
Rahman said he was trying his best to engage the public and had even sent his top officials to talk with the Kepong residents, but KTI and Ong had been undoing his efforts.
"They (KTI) keep shifting the goal posts to win their argument. "First, it was health concerns, now they say the people are not ready for it. They are just shifting goal posts," said Rahman. He is also upset that Ong, who often speaks up for KTI, has called him a liar.
themalaysianinsider.com
"Some quarters are spinning for their own benefit. Ong has been political in his fight against the incinerator and called me a liar. Why should he call me a liar? He is merely making populist statements.” Rahman said Ong's own opposition coalition has plans to build an incinerator in Selangor.