<p><img src="" alt="Featured Image"></p><p><!-- wp:html --><p><strong><span>by Ifham Nizam</span></strong></p>
<p>Environmentalists and residents of Palaviya in Puttalam have raised concerns about two companies releasing burnt furnace oil into the environment.The Port Junk Dealers' Association has written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe about the illegal practice, calling for an immediate investigation and action against those responsible for environmental degradation.</p>
<p>The letter, signed by the Association's President Senaka de Silva, states that these two companies in the Palaviya Industrial Zone are not their members, and as such, his Association will not take any responsibility for the ongoing crisis. The two companies collect fuel residues, sludge, and engine oil from the ships arriving at the Colombo Port for a fee and later discharge them into the environment without treating the waste. Owing to these discharges, grass and trees in the areas around the Industrial Zone are affected.</p>
<p>Chairman of the Central Environment Authority Venura Fernando, contacted for comment, confirmed the receipt of complaints and added that a team of experts had been dispatched to the affected area to carry out an investigation.</p>
<p>He said that the team of inspectors would carry out an investigation with the support of Marine Environment Protection Agency representatives and local environmental authorities. Fernando stated that preliminary investigations had revealed that the lincences issued to the two companies had expired. The representatives of the companies denied releasing any harmful substances into the environment. It was also found that the waste treatment plants of the two companies were not up to stipulated standards. Fernando said that the investigation teams had collected samples of oily substances from the affected area and were awaiting the laboratory test results to decide on the next course of action.</p><!-- /wp:html --></p><p>[Category: <a href="https://feed.lankaimage.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a>]</p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> </p>
<p>Environmentalists and residents of Palaviya in Puttalam have raised concerns about two companies releasing burnt furnace oil into the environment.The Port Junk Dealers' Association has written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe about the illegal practice, calling for an immediate investigation and action against those responsible for environmental degradation.</p>
<p>The letter, signed by the Association's President Senaka de Silva, states that these two companies in the Palaviya Industrial Zone are not their members, and as such, his Association will not take any responsibility for the ongoing crisis. The two companies collect fuel residues, sludge, and engine oil from the ships arriving at the Colombo Port for a fee and later discharge them into the environment without treating the waste. Owing to these discharges, grass and trees in the areas around the Industrial Zone are affected.</p>
<p>Chairman of the Central Environment Authority Venura Fernando, contacted for comment, confirmed the receipt of complaints and added that a team of experts had been dispatched to the affected area to carry out an investigation.</p>
<p>He said that the team of inspectors would carry out an investigation with the support of Marine Environment Protection Agency representatives and local environmental authorities. Fernando stated that preliminary investigations had revealed that the lincences issued to the two companies had expired. The representatives of the companies denied releasing any harmful substances into the environment. It was also found that the waste treatment plants of the two companies were not up to stipulated standards. Fernando said that the investigation teams had collected samples of oily substances from the affected area and were awaiting the laboratory test results to decide on the next course of action.</p><!-- /wp:html --></p><p>[Category: <a href="https://feed.lankaimage.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a>]</p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> </p>