Background
Industrial wastewater oversight connects factory operations with environmental protection rules for public waterways. Industrial wastewater control protects public canals and drainage systems by requiring production sites to prevent harmful liquid waste from entering shared water channels. Environmental inspection is a compliance mechanism that allows authorized officials to verify whether factories and business sites are releasing pollutants into land, water, or air.
Cambodia’s Environment and Natural Resources Code provides the legal basis for environmental inspection, monitoring, investigation, and implementation of environmental protection obligations by competent officials. In Cambodia, obstruction of an environmental inspection can trigger legal sanctions when a factory owner or representative refuses access or cooperation required by law. The Ministry of Environment also relies on implementing rules for pollution monitoring and inspection to determine how officials may enter sites, examine suspected offenses, and complete evidence-related procedures.
Enforcement Actions
The Ministry of Environment announced that it would temporarily suspend business operations at two factory locations: an unnamed mango preserves factory in Phnom Penh and a garment washing and cleaning factory named Kniteracy Asia Company Limited Garment, Knitting in Kandal province.
The ministry said the two sites were linked to suspected discharge of black, foul-smelling liquid waste into public water canals in Boeung Thom commune, Kamboul district, Phnom Penh, and Krang Mkak commune, Ang Snuol district, Kandal province. According to the ministry, competent officials were prevented from entering both factory premises to inspect the suspected environmental pollution.
The ministry stated that the temporary suspension was made in accordance with Cambodia’s Environment and Natural Resources Code and other legal instruments in force. The announcement was published by the Ministry of Environment on its official Facebook page on 8 May 2026.
Institutional Role
The ministry cited Article 815, point (a), of the Environment and Natural Resources Code as part of the legal basis for environmental inspection powers. The cited provision concerns the roles and duties of inspection officials under the ministry responsible for environment and natural resources, including inspection, monitoring, research, control, and promotion of implementation of the code in relation to environmental protection.
The ministry also referred to Sub-Decree No. 241 dated 4 December 2025 on the organization and functioning of the Ministry of Environment. The ministry said Articles 2, 22, and 27 provide that specialized environmental officials have competence to examine environmental offenses within their jurisdiction, act as environmental protection inspection officials, obtain judicial police status, and carry out procedures such as searches, seizure of evidence, summons of relevant persons, and other procedural actions.
Compliance Implications
The ministry cited Prakas No. 019 dated 10 January 2017 on procedures for monitoring and inspecting environmental pollution, including provisions related to access to production, business, or service locations. Under the ministry’s cited legal basis, owners or legal representatives who obstruct entry or refuse cooperation during the performance of inspection duties may face sanctions or penalties under applicable laws and regulations.
For production and service operators, the compliance issue is not limited to the alleged discharge of wastewater. Cooperation with authorized environmental inspectors is itself a regulated obligation when officials conduct pollution inspection procedures under Cambodia’s environmental legal framework.
