21/09/2012 (Daily Express) - Five oil palm mills out of the 124 operating in the Kinabatangan River Basin have been hauled to court by the Department of Environment (DOE) since 2010.

They include two public listed firms, Unico-Desa and Kwantas.

They were fined a total of RM75,000 for violations under the Environment Quality Act, 1974, such as discharging effluents above the permissible limit, busted retention ponds and ground seepage.

The mills are Tian Siang Oil (RM20,000), Unico-Desa Plantations (RM20,000), Kwantas Oil (RM10,000), Morisem Palm Oil Mill (RM15,000) and Tung Hup Palm Oil Mill (RM10,000). It is not known how many were penalised prior to 2010 and what their amounts were.

Apart from six compounds, 22 Order Notices and 27 Order Letters were delivered seeking upgrades to be done on pollution control mechanisms.

Based on the latest records, Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup admitted that moderate-scale pollution was affecting water quality in the Kinabatangan River - one of the identified highly sensitive areas. The water quality index in the area is currently between 73-90 or Class II to III based on the National River Water Standard Quality, he said.

However, he said apart from other tasks, the Ministry and its agencies' abilities are very much still limited and would not succeed without the help of all quarters, especially the public.

"Apart from monitoring and enforcement, without the help of the public, we are not able and would not be able to carry the work and responsibly.

"Prevention effort and water quality improvement needs concerted effort between the Federal and State governments, local authorities, industry players and the public," he said.

He said there many on-going efforts made with the State Government to address the issue including introducing a two-pronged action plan to prevent pollution and improve the water quality.

This includes ensuring the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD3) 20mg/l limit guideline is kept, within the highly sensitive areas, namely Kinabatangan, Segaliud and Muanad rivers.

He added the Ministry is well aware that it's a high price to pay for the environmental problems caused by the continuous human exploitation.

In a recent move the DOE had also empowered the State to take action, including suspending mills which keeping discharging effluents into the river.

And now the problem is becoming critical without showing positive signs of improving in its cultivation.

He said the Ministry, with its move to achieve 2020 vision to become the leader in smart resources and environmental management, is also pinning its hope on the media to deliver the message that the responsibility on resource development and environment is a job for all.

Reporters had wanted to know Kurup's response to accusations by Kinabatangan tourism players that he and Tan Sri Bernard Dompok were ineffective as Sabah's representatives at the Federal level where the effluent issue was concerned but Kurup decided not to have any Press conference.

Dompok had earlier parried any blame, saying his Ministry would be able to act only if the recommendations came from Kurup's Ministry.