ALOR STAR: Some 40,000 litres of latex spilled into an irrigation canal and a nearby paddy field after a trailer carrying two containers of the liquid skidded near KM41.2 of the North-South Expressway northbound on Saturday.
A team from the Kedah Department of Environment was deployed to the scene after being informed of the incident involving the trailer, which was heading to Hatyai Songkhla in Thailand from Penang, via the e-Aduan system at 6.59pm.
Its director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the trailer skidded and landed in the drainage canal, spilling the latex, near the highway between Hutan Kampung and Alor Star.
"Checks conducted on the day of the incident showed that all the latex had completely spilled from the container and entered the nearby drainage canal.
"The initial estimate of the affected length of the drainage canal was 300 metres.
"A follow-up inspection yesterday found that the latex had spread to more than 500 metres, with some of the liquid entering the paddy field," she said in a statement today.
The department, she said, had instructed the Penang-based truck company to hire a contractor to carry out cleanup works in the area and remove the spilled latex.
"The company hired a contractor and began pumping out the spilled latex yesterday morning (July 1) after the truck was removed on Sunday," she added.
She said PLUS had also taken immediate action on the day of the incident to help minimise the flow of the latex spill and prevent it from reaching nearby rivers.
The cleaning operations, she said, are still ongoing today and are expected to take another two to three days to complete.
"As of yesterday, three lorries were used to transport the pumped latex, totaling 36 tonnes."
She also assured that the department will monitor the situation and ensure that the waste is sent to a licensed rubber recycling facility in Penang.
"The department would like to advise truck companies to regularly inspect vehicles and tires, ensure drivers are well-trained and fit.
"They should have a plan and contractors ready to carry out immediate cleanup in the event of spills," she added.
"The department would like to advise truck companies to regularly inspect vehicles and tires, and ensure drivers are well-trained and fit.
"They should have a plan and contractors ready to carry out immediate cleanup in the event of spills," she added.
