Coal Spill Pollutes Teluk Kalong Beach

CHUKAI, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- Teluk Kalong Beach near here has been polluted by black solid material believed to be coal that spilled from a drifting barge that struck rocks in the coastal area before being washed ashore over the past two days.

A visitor, Ahmad Amadi Ali, 29, from Paka, Dungun, said he was shocked to find black solid material scattered along about 500 metres of the shoreline when he visited the beach today.

“The situation prompted me to cancel my plan to swim as I was worried that the seawater in this area had been polluted and could affect skin health,” he said.

A trader at the beach, Ahmad Firdaus Che Yahaya, 43, said he noticed the coal-laden barge drifting not far from the beach last Thursday.

He said the barge eventually ran aground along the beach over the past two days, and black patches were visible on the seabed several metres from the shoreline.

“Later I saw the beach area began to be covered with coal as the solid material was carried ashore by the waves during high tide,” he said.

Meanwhile, Terengganu Tourism, Culture, Environment and Climate Change Committee chairman Datuk Razali Idris said Malaysian Marine Department and the Department of Environment (DOE) had been directed to take immediate action to clean up the beach, which is among the most beautiful and a tourist attraction in the district.

He said Telaga Simpul and Senajang beaches were two other beaches nearby that were reported to be polluted with coal.

Terengganu DOE director Hamzah Mohamad said although the coal washed ashore was not classified as scheduled waste that could pose a threat to the environment, the department would continue to monitor the stuation to ensure the safety of visitors.

“The DOE has discussed the matter with representatives of the barge owner last Sunday, including issues related to beach clean-up works,” he added.

 -- BERNAMA