06/07/2010 (Daily Express), Kota Kinabalu - Some 18 palm oil mills in Sabah have thus far complied with the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) level of palm oil mill effluent discharge of 20milligramme per litre.

They are among 61 mills nationwide complying with the stricter requirement of the Environment Quality Act 1974 and the Environmental Quality Regulations (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil) 1977.

There are currently 428 palm oil mills in the country.

The law requires palm oil mills to adhere to prescribed regulations including laws governing the discharge of mill effluent into water courses and land. It is mandatory for all palm oil mills to treat their waste waters on site to an acceptable level before discharging them into water courses.

The standards formulated by the Environment Department have been made more stringent gradually to allow the industry time to adopt and adapt new technologies for environmental protection according to current situations and concerns for the environment.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok told reporters this during a press conference held after he officiated at the opening of a seminar and workshop on Palm Oil Mill Effluent Tertiary Treatment Technologies (POMETÆ) organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) at Promenade Hotel here Monday.

In his speech earlier, Dompok was happy that palm oil mills have taken the initiative to install tertiary treatment plants to treat their effluent to below 20mg per litre BOD.

"There are various types of treatment plants which represent various technologies to further treat the effluent from palm oil mills to this low level of BOD. Innovative approaches in treating palm oil mill effluent is vital in order to meet this more stringent standard that has been imposed in certain environmentally sensitive areas," he said.

He said based on the MPOB's study conducted, most of the mills are having problems complying with the 20mg per litre BOD requirement on effluent discharge consistently.

The palm oil industry takes cognisance of the requirements of importing countries for higher quality, safe and environmentally-friendly products in order to sustain market share, he said, adding the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a business-to-business initiative which sets standards for sustainability.

He said another initiative, the Codes of Practice initiated by MPOB cover the entire supply chain of oil palm and palm oil, incorporating elements of sustainability to ensure production of sustainable and environmentally friendly and food-safe palm oil for consumers worldwide.

"The good practices cover among others, areas related to pollution control, environmental protection and sustainability. Under the Codes of Practice, and under RSPO any discharge by the mills must comply with all relevant laws of the country," he said.

With the implementation of these certification schemes, he said the oil palm industry is being audited to ensure their practices are in line with the requirement of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127) and regulations.

He said any deviation from meeting the requirements would be categorised as non-conformance and if no corrective action is taken, the premises will not be certified as conforming to the stipulated requirements.

As such, formulation of environmental laws must be such that standards set are realistic, implementable and adequate to protect the environment.

Dompok also touched on recent media reports on palm oil mills that released effluent into rivers, like that in the Segaliud and Kinabatangan rivers in Sabah, but was pleased with MPOB and the Environment Department for taking swift action on such mills in accordance to the laws and regulations.

"Such unscrupulous action by the palm oil mills in the country has put the palm oil industry in a bad light and has created an urgent need for remedial actionÉthis has also led to a clarion call for more stringent regulations and enforcement by the department concerned," he said.

MPOB Chairman Datuk Seri Utama Sharir Abdul Samad and its Director-General Datuk Dr Mohd Basri Wahid, among others, were also present.