Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 10 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE: Work is underway to expand the landfill site on Semakau Island.
Semakau, located among the Southern islands of Singapore, is the world's first offshore landfill created entirely from sea space.
A 160-hectare lagoon at Semakau Landfill is set for a transformation and will soon become a landfill site as part of Phase Two of the National Environment Agency's (NEA) plans to expand the landfill area on the island.
Currently, a 190-hectare of sea space is being used in Phase One of operations.
General manager of Semakau Landfill NEA, Ong Chong Peng, said: "We are actually land-filling the sea space, the so-called Phase One sea space. Based on the current usage and based on the projections of the waste growth, sometime by 2015, the Phase One sea space will be used up. So right now we started early last year, we started the planning for Phase Two."
Operations at Semakau started in 1999. It is Singapore's only off-shore landfill. The island receives more than 1,700 tonnes of incineration ash every day. It's expected to meet Singapore's landfill needs, till 2045 or beyond.
Talks are underway with other government agencies.
Mr Ong said : "For the future expansion of Semakau landfill, we really have to discuss with the authorities, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Land Authority, so that's actually the long term plan. But we did have some initial discussion with them."
With expansion plans underway, the National Environment Agency said it's committed to conserving the thriving eco-system at Semakau.
Mr Ong said" "First (it) is to make sure our landfill operations are carried out properly, and also there's no pollution to the surrounding environment. And also, to make sure our perimeter, the structure, the stability of the perimeter bunds are properly maintained. To keep this surrounding water pollution free. So this is the first effort, to make sure the biodiversity can continue to thrive."
The agency said it will call for a tender once its design proposal is approved.
Details will be released at a later date.
- CNA/ck
"Monster Fish" explorer visits Semakau Island
Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 10 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE: He made his name on the National Geographic channel as the "Monster Fish" explorer.
But on Sunday, marine ecologist Zeb Hogan was in Singapore giving a lesson on conservation at Semakau Island - the world's first offshore landfill.
It's not something that many get a chance to do - exploring Semakau Landfill's inter-tidal area with "Monster Fish" Explorer Zeb Hogan.
Zeb Hogan is known for travelling around the world introducing some of the world's large fishes.
And while there was no "monster fish" to look at, Zeb Hogan said there was still plenty to see and even touch.
"I was surprised when I came to Semakau because it's a landfill - Semakau Landfill. I didn't know what to expect and being out here, there's so much life out here. That was the most surprising thing.
"The biodiversity here, in the inter-tidal zone in Semakau, is equally rich to what I've seen in other areas in other inter-tidal zones. So, that was surprising, seeing so many different kinds of sponges, crabs, different species of shrimps, many different species of fish, very rich life," Hogan shared.
From crabs and sea stars, to an array of colourful coral species, it might be hard to believe Semakau is also where Singapore buries its incinerated rubbish.
It receives about 1,773 tonnes of incineration ash and 557 tonnes of non-incinerator waste daily.
Operations began in 1999.
The island is expected to meet Singapore's landfill needs till 2045 or beyond.
Zeb Hogan said: "Landfills don't normally serve any purpose except for a place to put garbage. And here, the landfill serves two purposes. One is the landfill and the other is the biodiversity conservation zone, and that's unique and makes it very nice to see."
Participants clearly loved the experience.
Stephanie Chew said: "It's a good experience to be outdoors, I would definitely encourage everyone to try. It's also makes a big difference from our air-conditioned shopping centres and it's good to get a breath of fresh air".
Myke Motus said: "I'm a fan of Monster Fish and I watch him most of the time and it's a pleasure meeting him here and talking to him and having an adventure with him."
Despite it being an island for trash, care has been taken to preserve the area's biodiversity.
One way is by ensuring that the island's perimeter bunds are properly maintained to keep the sea, pollution free.
- CNA/ck
Semakau reaching first-phase capacity
Adrian Lim my paper Asia One 11 Jun 12;
Rubbish is serious business, especially in land-scarce Singapore, whose only landfill site is found on the offshore island of Pulau Semakau.
The use of Pulau Semakau as a landfill site is split into two phases and, yesterday, it was revealed that the 350ha site will reach its full capacity for Phase One by 2015.
But this figure is on track, according to an estimate by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The NEA plans to utilise the island as a waste-disposal ground until 2045 and beyond.
Phase One - which got its start in 1999 - will utilise over 170ha, with a landfill volume of 11.4 million cu m.
Phase Two is still in its "planning and design stage", said Mr Ong Chong Peng, general manager of Semakau Landfill.
He added that "there has been a steady increase in waste coming to Semakau in the past three years".
He attributes this rise to a variety of factors, from Singapore's population and economic growth, to the arrival of the two integrated resorts.
One way to ensure Semakau's longevity and to help reduce the amount of waste - which consists mainly of incinerated ash from Singapore - going to Semakau is to recycle, said an NEA spokesman.
Singaporeans currently recycle only 59 per cent of their waste, the spokesman added. NEA's target is for the recycle rate to reach 65 per cent by 2020, and 70 per cent by 2030.
The update on Semakau's status was revealed yesterday, when marine ecologist Zeb Hogan visited the island.
Besides acting as a landfill, Semakau is a wildlife haven that is rich in mangroves and coral reefs.
Dr Hogan - who hosts National Geographic's Monster Fish programme - led a group of 40 nature lovers on a tour of Semakau, as part of a collaboration between the television channel and the NEA. While there, he commented on Semakau's marine diversity.
"The anemones, sponges, crabs and some of the fish here are different from what I've seen in other places. What's here is unique," said Dr Hogan, who is an assistant research professor at the University of Nevada in Reno.
He had never visited Semakau, whose landfill was created using a 7km-perimeter rock bund built to enclose a part of the sea off Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng.
The bund is lined with an impermeable membrane and a layer of marine clay, to ensure that the waste is contained within the landfill.
"Semakau is right in the middle of a busy area, (with) lots of boat traffic... It's surprising that (the marine life) is so intact and so healthy," Dr Hogan said after his visit.
Growing landfill is no wasteland
Semakau Island to be expanded but its thriving eco-system will be conserved
Olivia Siong Today Online 11 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE - Semakau Island, the world's first offshore landfill, is set to be expanded to cover a 160ha lagoon on the island.
This is Phase 2 of the National Environment Agency's (NEA) plans to expand the landfill area on the island, which yesterday hosted a lesson on conservation by marine ecologist Zeb Hogan, the well-known explorer on the National Geographic Channel's Monster Fish.
The National Geographic Channel has worked with the NEA to feature Semakau Island on the former's Nature Journeys, seen through the eyes of Dr Hogan.
Currently, 190ha of sea space is being used in Phase 1 of operations. "Based on the projections of the waste growth, some time by 2015, the Phase 1 sea space will be used up," said the NEA's Semakau landfill general manager Ong Chong Peng. "So ... early last year, we started the planning for Phase 2."
Mr Ong said talks are under way with other government agencies over the expansion plans, but the agency remains committed to conserving the thriving eco-system at Semakau by making sure landfill operations are carried out properly.
It will also ensure that the perimeter bunds of the structure are properly maintained to keep the surroundings free of water pollution.
The agency said it will call a tender once its design proposal is approved. Details will be released at a later date.
Meanwhile, nature lovers enjoyed their outing with Dr Hogan yesterday on Semakau Island, which is home to crabs and sea stars and an array of colourful coral species.
Said Dr Hogan of the island: "I was surprised when I came to Semakau because it's a landfill. I didn't know what to expect and, being out here, there's so much life out here. That was the most surprising thing."
Semakau began operations in 1999 and receives about 1,773 tonnes of incineration ash and 557 tonnes of non-incinerator waste daily.
The island is expected to meet Singapore's landfill needs until 2045 or beyond.
Said participant Stephanie Chew of the experience: "It's a good experience to be outdoors. I would definitely encourage everyone to try. It also makes a big difference from our air-conditioned shopping centres and it's good to get a breath of fresh air".
Pulau Semakau landfill site to be expanded
Straits Times 12 Jun 12;
Another 160ha of landfill space will be added to the current 190ha on Pulau Semakau by 2015. -- PHOTO: NEW PAPER FILE
SINGAPORE'S offshore landfill is about to get larger.
Pulau Semakau currently has about 190ha of man-made cavities underneath it - roughly half the size of Sentosa. These 'cells' are used to dispose of waste, mostly ash from incinerated rubbish.
Under phase two of the National Environment Agency's expansion plans, another 160ha of landfill space will be added.
The existing site - which has been in use since 1999 and receives 2,330 tonnes of waste a day - is expected to be full in about three years.
The agency is working with other government bodies on the expansion, which is due to be finished by 2015.
A tender will be called once its design proposal is approved.
It is hoped that the site will carry on being used until 2045 and beyond.
Pulau Semakau is also the first to combine a landfill with a biodiversity conservation zone.
SIAU MING EN
He waited 10 years, but what a catch
TV's Monster Fish host on S'pore visit shares his passion for research
Siau Ming En Straits Times 12 Jun 12;
FISHERMEN have to endure long waits before they reel in a catch but few arguably wait 10 years to land a whopper.
But that was how long Dr Zeb Hogan, host of National Geographic Channel documentary Monster Fish, took to track down the Mekong giant catfish.
Since 1997, the marine ecologist had spent time in northern Thailand, waiting for fishermen to haul in that catfish.
It was not till 2007, when Cambodian fishermen caught a 2.4m-long one, that he finally manage to tag what is believed to be the world's largest catfish.
The American conservationist was in town last weekend to lead 40 Singaporeans on a tour of Pulau Semakau, the world's first offshore landfill. It was organised by the National Geographic Channel and the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The host of Monster Fish, whose fourth season is being shot, said painstaking work is common in his area of research.
'There are so many times when we go somewhere and have an idea of the work we want to do, but we can't find the fish,' said the 38-year-old based in Oregon.
It helps that he 'loves travelling, learning about new fish, going to new places with the television show and my research'.
The remote areas that he visits come with extreme weather conditions.
He recalled a trip to northern Australia three years ago when conditions were extremely hot and dry.
He wanted to take a cool dip but his hopes were dashed by the sight of five to six bull sharks swimming in the vicinity.
These sharks have been known to attack humans.
'Extreme conditions, yes, but I don't want to have a near-death experience,' said Dr Hogan, whose passion for the outdoors and animals started from young.
'When I was in junior high and high school, I did things like the science club and volunteered at an aquarium,' he said.
'I think a lot of children are curious about animals, and for some, they lose that feeling after a while, but I never lost it.'
But he started thinking about conservation only after a trip to Thailand in 1997.
He saw a Mekong giant catfish for the first time that was netted by fishermen there.
It dawned on him that it could be extinct before people worldwide had a chance to see it.
'That made me sad, we had all of these fish that people don't even know about and they could be gone,' he said.
He was also surprised by the biodiversity at Pulau Semakau.
'Semakau Island is being used by Singapore as a landfill, but when you're out there, it doesn't feel like a landfill at all,' he noted.
The island, where landfilling started in 1999, receives about 1,773 tonnes of incineration ash and 557 tonnes of non-incinerator waste daily. In 2005, the NEA opened the place to the public for recreational activities.
Dr Hogan said he saw different species of fish, crab, giant clam and starfish, but what really took him by surprise were stingrays.
'I wasn't really expecting them but I saw a few; they were really brightly coloured and fairly large,' he said.
Water runs in a desert boy's blood
Ng Jing Yng Today Online 16 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE - He plodded through the ankle-deep waters in his flip-flops - no tricked-out adventurer's gear, despite his celebrity status - and his ears pricked up like an eager schoolboy's whenever he heard a ripple in the distance.
Marine ecologist Dr Zeb Hogan was clearly in his element exploring the world's only offshore landfill, which held some surprises for the man who has spent 15 years studying and exploring freshwater ecosystems around the world.
Confessing, after his first recce trip to Pulau Semakau, that he did not expect it to be bursting with "all kinds of life", the 38-year-old stooped to touch sea creatures and paused to admire the huge corals.
But preoccupied as he seemed with his immediate surroundings, some innate sense was keyed to the deeper seawaters 300m away. "Did you see those swirls?" exclaimed the host of Monster Fish. "Those must be the fishes ... I'm curious what's out there."
The Arizona native and National Geographic Channel host was here last weekend to film a clip on the Semakau Landfill, in a partnership between the channel and the National Environment Agency. On Sunday, he returned to the island as guide to 40 Singaporeans.
It may seem a mite peculiar for a boy born in a hot desert state to end up doing what he does - going around the world in search of giant freshwater fish. His dad is an economist and his two brother are bankers.
But Dr Hogan says he grew up loving the water - he was swimming at age two - and never had a doubt about what he was going to do. In junior high, he worked in an aquarium and as an undergraduate served as a research assistant surveying fishes.
At age 23, he went to Chiang Mai University in 1997 as a Fulbright scholar and witnessed the capture of an impressive giant Mekong catfish by a fisherman. Sadly, that was the last year that it was possible to catch such fish in large numbers; their numbers plunged thereafter.
Said Dr Hogan: "What really hit me was that this is probably the world's largest freshwater fish, and it could easily go extinct without anyone knowing about it." The assistant research professor at the University of Nevada-Reno has since been studying the giant catfish and other large fish of the lower Mekong River.
While environmental consciousness is inherent in his work, Dr Hogan is a subtle, not strident, advocate. Pressed by reporters for his views on shark-finning, he did not criticise those who eat shark's fin, only stating that he didn't. He prefers to speak through his actions, he told TODAY.
He said protecting the environment is everyone's job, citing the Semakau Landfill as an example: "It got me thinking of the need to recycle ... I was throwing away a bottle in my hotel room and I thought about how it would end up in the landfill."
The life of a NatGeo host requires being away from home for long periods. And yes, there are dangers, like a car crash in remote Mongolia five years ago where he injured his leg and medical facilities were several miles' walk away. He said: "I don't take things for granted. It is always a race for time to be around my parents and loved ones more often."
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