KOTA KINABALU, July 25 — Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Christina Liew today said that the state’s Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is investigating the incident of dark brown effluent flowing into a beach adjacent to a controversial silica sand mining operation in Kudat.

Liew told English daily The Star that initial reports suggested that the dark brown alleged pollutants were believed to be from a natural pond outside the mining area that had flowed into the white sand beach.

"According to the department, the ‘dark water’ may be a normal characteristic of the water in that particular area because of the soil type and its proximity to the mangrove area.

"I was informed by the EPD director that this is the natural colour of the water even before the sand mining project started,” she was quoted as saying.

The initial EPD probe indicated that the water overflowed from a natural pond that drained into the sea due to heavy rain.

Liew said the department will continue investigating the situation.

Photos of the dark pollution on the beach were widely shared on social media and raising concerns from members of the public.

Some alleged that the runoff was from the mining area.

When contacted, Sabah Environmental Protection Association (SEPA) president Alexander Yee said that environmental groups in the area had also checked on the alleged "pollution” and found that it was naturally occurring and had nothing to do with the mining operations.

"It was already there even before the mining operations started,” Yee said.

The area has been receiving more attention since a China-owned company brought in an RM2 billion project for the sand mining project in Sikuati last year.

Five fishing villages protested against the project as they fear the activity could damage the surrounding environment and their livelihood.

However, the government said that the project could go ahead if they complied to Environment Impact Assessment guidelines.