Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill meant to send a 'strong signal': Balakrishnan

Channel NewsAsia 4 Aug 14;

SINGAPORE: The inadequate enforcement to deter illegal land land clearing, which is a cause of transboundary haze, is why the Government is tabling the Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill, said the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (Aug 4).

READ: Up to S$100,000 fine for every day of transboundary haze

Dr Balakrishnan, speaking in Parliament, said that transboundary haze pollution has been a perennial problem in the region for the past two decades. "The root of this problem is misaligned commercial interests where companies burn forests and engage in unsustainable degradation of land because of short-term profits," he said.

There is, therefore, an urgent need for governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), responsible companies and local communities, to collaborate more effectively, to insist on transparency and to pursue investigations in order to hold the culprits accountable for their actions, he said.

However, there is inadequate enforcement on the ground to deter such illegal land clearing and Singapore cannot "simply wait and wishfully hope for the situation to resolve on its own".

This legislation will make it an offence for any entity – Singaporean and non-Singaporean - to cause or contribute to transboundary haze pollution in Singapore, he stated.

"The Singapore Government, and this Parliament, wants to send a strong signal that we will not tolerate the actions of errant companies that harm our environment and put at risk the health of our citizens," Dr Balakrishnan said.

"Given the very strong economic incentives today for companies to adopt, quite frankly, the cheapest methods of clearing land for plantations, we need to tilt the playing field in favour of businesses that do the right and responsible thing, and to deter against those who do not."

He added that the Bill is not intended to replace the laws and enforcement actions of other countries, but to complement their efforts to hold companies to account.

The Ministry of The Environment And Water Resources said in a statement on Monday that it will provide additional haze assistance to Indonesia in the form of a helicopter equipped with a heli-bucket to fight fires. This is in addition to the haze assistance package offered to Indonesia in June, the ministry said.

- CNA/kk


Fine imposed if PSI hits 101 under proposed anti-haze law
Neo Chai Chin Today Online 5 Aug 14;

SINGAPORE — The air quality threshold at which parties will be taken to task for causing transboundary haze affecting Singapore was spelled out yesterday, but Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan cautioned that the proposed law would be challenging to implement.

An offence would be deemed to have occurred if the Pollutant Standards Index in any part of Singapore hits 101 or more — venturing into the unhealthy range and beyond — for a 24-hour period or longer, Dr Balakrishnan said.

The Bill proposes a maximum fine of S$2 million for a party’s conduct that causes haze pollution here, from fines of up to S$100,000 for each day of pollution. Those who do not comply with notices to implement preventive measures could be fined up to S$50,000 a day.

Culprits need not have started the haze-causing fires to be liable — they need only be involved in managing the offending parties.

The Bill also allows notice to be served on firms that do not operate here to assist the National Environment Agency in investigations. Those made ill or who suffer economic loss from the haze may also sue the culprits.

Dr Balakrishnan said he does not anticipate an overwhelming number of prosecutions against companies when the law kicks in. This is because the Bill introduces new legal concepts to the law here. He also assured responsible businesses that they had nothing to fear.

Singapore’s proposed law is to complement other countries’ enforcement efforts and to deter firms from acting irresponsibly, he said. “It is only one of a slate of measures that we must put in place in order to tackle the transboundary haze that has plagued our region for many years.”

The Singapore Government has also told Indonesia that the Republic can provide a helicopter equipped with a heli-bucket to transport and discharge water to help fight fires. This is in addition to the haze assistance package offered in June — consisting of fire-fighting teams, a cloud-seeding aircraft, satellite images and planning assistance — that has not been taken up by Indonesia.

Two Members of Parliament yesterday backed the Bill but questioned if the financial penalties were a sufficient deterrent. Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah said the fines should be doubled or tripled, with higher fines for repeat offenders.

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher De Souza said economic pressure should be applied on companies with slash-and-burn activities. He questioned how consumers could be made more aware about products made by errant companies. The debate on the Bill continues today.