After Day of the Red Dye, Mindef offers:
# Compensation for lost crops
# Stain removal tips and services
David Boey, Straits Times 4 Dec 07;
THE Defence Ministry has rolled out a battle plan to help the people and businesses affected by a plume of red dye released 10 days ago from Tengah Air Base.
The Ministry of Defence said yesterday that it is working out a 'compensation package' for the farmers who have been forced to destroy their vegetables, which were stained by tiny red droplets.
The spots were traced to a dye which was used in a test to create more visually striking red smoke for the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) Black Knights aerobatics team, which is preparing for next year's inaugural Singapore Air Show.
Mindef is also tackling the problem on other fronts:
For property owners: A 24-hour toll-free number (1800-760-8844) links them to advice on how to get rid of the dye stains, which appear mostly as pinhead-size dots and cannot be dissolved in water.
For car owners: Mindef personnel will meet the owners of vehicles with 'stubborn stains', 'for an assessment before making the arrangements to have the stains removed'.
The Straits Times understands that roving teams of professional car polishers may be dispatched to remove the stains and buff cars.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has given an assurance that, while the 200 tonnes of leafy greens being junked are enough to fill some 10 lorries, it expects no impact on food prices.
This is because the amount being destroyed adds up to 'less than 1 per cent of the 350,000 tonnes of vegetables consumed' by Singaporeans in a year.
A farmer who was affected by the dye, Mr Wong Koh Fah, 45, said he is still tallying his losses.
'We'll plant again. I felt reassured when Mindef officers visited my farm to see how they could help,' he said.
Talk of a cash payout comes amid continuing efforts to uproot and destroy crops such as kai lan, kang kong and cabbage at the six affected farms in the Lorong Semangka area in Sungei Tengah.
The AVA said that workers began clearing vegetable plots last Saturday and work should be completed tomorrow.
Mindef has extended a helping hand to residents who live around the RSAF's largest fighter aircraft base, which is in Lim Chu Kang.
Colonel Darius Lim, Mindef's director of public affairs, said Mindef's hotline has received 27 calls since the incident. Most callers asked how the red spots could be removed.
The red dye was released on Nov 23 when, at around 2pm, the engine of an F-16C on the ground was left running for about 20 minutes, so that the effects of the red smoke could be seen.
The plume that emerged was blown south-east across the fenceline by strong winds.
Straits Times readers who live as far away as Dunearn Road in Bukit Timah and the Teck Whye area also complained of cars and clothes speckled with red spots.
A resident of Jalan Jambu Ayer, off Dunearn Road, was so alarmed that she called the police. This resulted in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), togged up in air-tight suits designed to handle hazardous materials, showing up at her doorstep to check the mystery stains.
An SCDF spokesman confirmed the incident and said that investigations showed that the dye had come from the RSAF air base.
Addressing health concerns, Col Lim said that trials have been suspended. He assured the public that 'the amount of red dye deposited will not cause adverse health effects when inhaled or when in contact with the skin'.
Mr Jason Sia, 29, said the stains remained even after he had hand-washed his white Honda Civic twice. 'The spots are too many to count,' he said.
When told about Mindef's helpline for car owners, Mr Sia said: 'It's better than nothing.'
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