Channel NewsAsia 6 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency's (NEA) investigation into earlier incidents of individuals extracting used cooking oil from grease traps in Jurong, has revealed that the waste oil collected from the grease traps of eateries was sent for processing into biodiesel.
NEA is now investigating another similar incident in Toa Payoh that took place on March 3.
Food establishments are required to provide grease traps and maintain them regularly through licensed general waste collectors.
There is a proper system in place for the collection and disposal of waste from grease traps, with such waste being collected by the licensed operators who are equipped with vacuum trucks.
The waste is then disposed of at the water reclamation plant of national water agency, PUB.
NEA said it will take enforcement action against any unauthorised waste collectors, and any licensee who violates the conditions of the licence or illegally disposes of the waste.
Upon conviction, offenders are liable to a maximum fine of S$2,000.
NEA also carries out checks at food shops to ascertain that the ingredients used, including cooking oil, are from approved or licensed sources, and will take action against operators who flout the rules.
Members of the public who come across any information on unauthorised collection of waste from grease traps should note down details of the incident and contact NEA at 1800-2255632 or Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg.
- CNA/ms/sf
Oily business
The New Paper AsiaOne 7 Mar 14;
The two men had dashed past her, surprising her as she was serving coffee to customers.
"They looked like they were running for their lives," said Ms Feng, who runs a drinks stall at the market and food centre at Block 74, Lorong 4 Toa Payoh.
Hot on their heels were several police officers, the 35-year-old told Lianhe Zaobao.
The two men had allegedly been pumping oil out of a grease trap near the food centre on Monday morning. They fled when the police arrived.
Similar two-man operations have been spotted by the public near hawker centres in Yishun and Jurong West, raising concerns over where the oil waste goes after collection.
One fear is that they could be drawing "gutter oil", which is oil waste and grease that is collected in grease traps near hawker centres and other food outlets that is treated and used again for food preparation. The sewerage system, where the grease trap is located, can be accessed by inserting a pipe through a manhole.
MANHOLE
Ms Feng said she had seen people at the manhole to draw oil every one or two weeks and that it had been going on for a year.
"They usually go at around 6am with a long pipe and a metal drum. They would finish drawing oil in 10 to 15 minutes and then leave on a lorry," she said.
At 2pm the same day, J.O.L Environmental, a licensed waste collector, sent workers to the same spot to collect oil waste.
A worker told Zaobao that they clear the grease trap once a month and send the waste to a water facility in Tuas for disposal.
Although the two men on Monday morning were not caught, Lianhe Zaobao understands that the boss of the company that hired them was questioned by the police.
The boss had told the newspaper on Monday that his company was licensed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to draw oil waste and had been operating for 10 years.
He added that the waste collected would be sold to a Malaysian company to be refined as diesel.
A check on NEA's website however, revealed that the company is not on the agency's list of general waste collectors. The list was last updated on January 10.
