Environment Department fines factory for dumping colorant into the sea

The sea turned red from the illegal colorant dumping by the Lin's Textile factory and caused commotion among Sihanoukville dwellers (Photo: Ta Som, Koh Santepheap newspaper)

Sunday, June 10, 2007
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Sihanoukville – The Environment Department issued a warning to the management of the Lin’s Textile Co. Ltd which owns a fabric tinting factory located in Sangkat No. 1, Mittapheap district, Sihanoukville, to immediately stop all its activities for the time being. The department also fined the factory an amount of 10 million riels (~$2,500) for dumping liquid waste into the sea and damaging the environment along the coastal line, as well as affecting the livelihood of people living along the seashore. The warning was sent in a department letter dated 01 June 2007.

In the letter, the Environment Department claimed that, based on investigation on the spot by the department experts, on 15 May 2007, the Lin’s Textile factory, dumped liquid waste from its fabric color tinting operations without prior cleanup, into public areas. The factory action led to a sea pollution with the red colorant waste dump. Based on this situation, the department notes that the factory action is illegal and opposite to the department order for the cleanup of liquid waste, and that such cleanup must be performed after each color tinting operation.

In its letter to the Lin’s Textile factory, the department stressed that, in order to prevent the pollution of the environment, and to protect the people’s health, the department has decided to take the following actions against the illegal activities perpetrated by the factory:

• The factory is fined by an amount of 10 million riels (~$2,500) for dumping waste colorant without prior cleanup.
• The factory must stop its color tinting activities immediately, starting from the day it receives the department notice. The factory can resume its activities again only after it receives an authorization letter from the Cambodian Development Council (CDC), from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and from the Environment Ministry. The department also stated that it will take legal actions against the factory if its management does not follow the department order.