CONTROL OF POLLUTION IN SINGAPORE1

• Author: FOO KIM BOON
• Published date: 01 December 1993
• Citation: (1993) 5 SAcLJ 81
• Date: 01 December 1993

I. INTRODUCTION

Intensive industrialization efforts since the 1960s and rapid urbanisation have transformed Singapore into a highly urbanised and compact society.2 Close to half of its land area consists of built-up areas used for residential and industrial purposes. The pattern of land use in Singapore is as shown in Table A.

TABLE A 3 — LAND USE IN SINGAPORE

(as at 1989)

Land Use	Area (Km2)	%
Built-up areas (residential and industrial)	302.9	48.7
Farm holding areas	32.6	5.2
Forest	28.6	4.6
Marsh and tidal wasteland	15.7	2.5
Others (inland waters, open spaces, public gardens, quarries, cemeteries, rubber and coconut plantations, and unused land)	242.8	39.0
Total land area (main island and offshore inlets)	622.6	100.0

Not surprisingly, pollution control in Singapore is capable of centralised control and stringent enforcement in a way which may not perhaps be possible in other societies with much larger land areas and with a much more dispersed population.

Most of the Acts and Regulations concerning pollution control are administered by the Ministry of the Environment (ENV). Marine pollution matters generally come under the purview of the Port of Singapore Authority.4

A. Environmental Concerns Through The Decades

Singapore’s concerns with the environment date back to the early 1970s when the Ministry of the Environment was formed.5 Prior to this, there was an Anti-Pollution Unit under the Prime Minister’s Office.6 With self-rule in 1959,7 the most urgent problems to tackle then was to stimulate the economy, preserve the security and peace, and to provide adequate housing for the people. In the 1960s and ’70s, much was achieved in creating a “Garden City” and a “Clean and Green Environment” for Singapore.

From the 1980s onwards, there was a renewed environmental consciousness which led to major projects in environmental conservation. One of the more notable projects include the cleaning up of the Singapore and Kallang River basin, at a cost of $200 million. It has succeeded in bringing back aquatic life of the area generally over a ten-year period.8 The conservation of historic Singapore was launched on a more systematic basis, involving the ENV, the Ministry of National Development and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA).

In the 1990s, the vision is that of Singapore as a model “Green City” to be attained by the year 2000. Part of this vision includes high standards of public health and a quality environment for the city, which is conducive to living with clean air, clean land, clean water and a quiet living environment.9

Environmental management and protection will continue to be a major national objective. In this respect, the work of the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of the Environment Ministry is of special importance. The PCD is responsible for the prevention and control of environmental pollution in Singapore. Its four principal programme areas are:

1. (a) water pollution control;

1. (b) air pollution control;

2. (c) hazardous substances and toxic wastes control; and

3. (d) monitoring of air and water quality.

Each of these programme areas will be further discussed, including measures to combat marine pollution.

II. ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE, PLANNING AND CONTROL

Laws do not exist in isolation; they are enacted to solve certain problems. But once the laws get into the statute books, the reality may be quite different. Lack of enforcement has emasculated many well-meaning statutes. It is the same with environmental legislation: to have teeth, there must be adequate infrastructure. For example, what use is there in having impressive anti-litter laws unless sufficient litter bins are provided, at convenient locations, and the laws diligently enforced? Singapore has a comprehensive and efficient infrastructure to manage and protect the environment. It has taken decades for this to come about.

Take the case of (a) solid waste management and (b) waste water management.

A. Solid Waste Management

Today, the handling and haulage of refuse from collection points to storage yards and disposal facilities are done on a daily basis. This is by no means the case in many other urban cities. Singaporeans have taken this for granted. However, the daily collection of refuse is very labour-intensive and there are plans to mechanise this operation. All solid wastes are incinerated ie; apart from those which are re-cycled, re-usable, or recoverable. This results in maximum reduction of the volume of waste and help preserve our very limited sanitary landfills. At present, about 85% of the waste are incinerated. A third incineration plant was recently completed at Senoko.

By 1997, the present landfill sites will be exhausted.10 The use of discharged landfill sites will be brought back to productive use. After 1997, the disposal of non-incinerable wastes and incineration ash will be carried out at an offshore landfill site at Pulau Semakau. The first phase of its completion is scheduled for 1995.

B. Waste Water Management

All waste water is treated before discharge.

A $2 billion sewage reticulation system comprising 2250 km of sewers and six sewage treatment works that provide sanitary treatment are already in place. Such treated effluent are discharged into the sea or at river mouths. This treated effluent quality meets the standard of 20/30 (20 mg/l of bio chemical oxide treatment and 30 mg/l of suspended solids), which is the standard required for discharge into inland waters. Some sewage is further treated for use as industrial water. Stabilised sludge is used as a soil conditioner for tree planting and turfing works. Presently these sewage treatment works are of open design and the treatment units cover a large area.

It is hoped that from 1993, all sewage treatment works will be upgraded with compact and covered designs. This will be done in phases over a 40-year period. Four of these works will be upgraded by year 2000. Through this compact and covered sewage system works, more buffer land would be freed for residential and commercial use.

Besides the need for adequate infrastructure, environmental planning and management, and a coherent legislative framework are important aspects of environmental protection.

C. Environmental Impact Assessment

Recently, there has been calls for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) legislation — none exists now — by members of the public.11 The main purpose of an EIA is to identify, predict, and evaluate the impacts on the environment of a proposed project. In most countries of the world where there is EIA legislation, this is used as a tool to integrate environmental considerations into project planning. It is thought that an independent panel of experts have to be formed for the purpose. Developers or industries, on their own, may not be able to produce impartial, objective reports, given their vested interests. The need for EIA has been under study by government authorities but it appears that current administrative arrangements are adequate according to an ENV official.12

All planning developments have to meet the requirements of zoning under the Master Plan for residential, recreational, commercial and other uses.13 This has been in place since the 1950s. Although there is no law mandating environmental impact assessment, before new developments are allowed to

proceed the Central Building Plan Unit of the PCD studies these proposals to assess the impact on the environment and ensure that new industrial and residential developments are properly sited and are compatible with surrounding land use.14 Such inputs are taken into account by the URA, the national planning authority.

New industries would only be allowed to be sited where they do not pose unmanageable health and safety hazards and pollution problems. In addition, there has to be strict compliance with emission control standards, provisions for the safe disposal of wastes and so on. The result is an orderly development within a sound environment. A delicate balance has to be struck between land use for development and that set aside for protected water catchments, green areas and open spaces.15

We turn now to the main Acts and Regulations dealing with pollution control.

III. CONTROL OF POLLUTION

A. The Environmental Public Health Act

The Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA) first passed in 1968 may be said to be the earliest piece of legislation concerned with the protection of the environment.16 In the 1950s and ‘60s, a large part of the population was living in slums, streets were filthy and drains were choked with rubbish. Anti-littering laws were non-existent. Aquatic life was dying in our polluted rivers since water pollution control did not exist. Eighteen years hence, most of the basic health problems have been solved.

In 1987, the EPHA was repealed and re-enacted, with many of the existing provisions retained, but in addition, also providing for the following:-

1. (a) the disposal and treatment of industrial waste and toxic industrial waste;

2. (b) the control and establishment of private disposal facilities;

3. (c) the licensing of persons carrying on the business of collecting and transporting refuse and waste;

4. (d) the prevention and control of noise emitted from construction sites and work premises.

As the Minister for the Environment, Dr Ahmad Mattar, said at the Second Reading of the Bill: “… the weaknesses of the present [ie 1968] legislation have been tightened and recent advances and trends in public health incorporated.”17

Section 2 of EPHA 1987 introduced new definitions for:

“industrial waste” — any waste whether solid, liquid or gaseous produced in the course of or is the waste product of any trade, business, manufacture or building construction, and includes toxic industrial waste;

“toxic industrial waste” — any...