Hazardous Waste Management in Malaysia: The Needs of Environmental Forensic

Abstract

In the past years of economic development in Malaysia, focus has changed from agricultural to the industrial manufacturing and demand to support the sustainable development is always a challenge. The nation intends to become developed and fully industrialization by the year 2020. One of the consequences of such development is the increase in the generation of industrial waste and effluent containing toxic and hazardous industrial waste and sludge. Following such example from development in the ‘top-peers’ environmental agencies, among new approach of hazardous waste management is the integration of forensic enforcement and investigation, and the needs is anticipated to bring a great challenge to the current system of hazardous waste management in Malaysia. Under the hazardous waste management system, this paper discusses the environmental forensics in the field of the enforcement program to address the investigation of the peculiar hazardous waste issues, namely: (i) Hazardous waste generation and compliances to the legislation; (ii) Hazardous waste management facilities; (iii) Illegal dumping of hazardous waste; (iv) Importation and exportation of hazardous waste; and (v) Contaminated land.