Channel NewsAsia 30 Jun 16;
SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) called for a tender on Thursday (Jun 30) for a system that would allow authorities to monitor radiation levels in the environment.
In a statement, NEA said the tender calls for interested parties to supply, deliver, install and maintain equipment for the ambient radiation monitoring network (ARMNet). With the system, NEA said it will be able to establish baseline radiation levels, and in time detect any potential increases of radioactive substances in the environment.
The monitoring stations will be placed at different locations across the island, including along coastal lines and waters. NEA said these stations do not pose any safety or environmental concerns, as they are collecting data “passively”.
The monitoring network is expected to be fully operational by 2018, according to NEA. The tender will close on Aug 30, and is expected to be awarded in February next year.
NEA said the gathering of such data through the network is timely, and supports Singapore’s response to any nuclear or radiological incidents that could occur in the region. A national pre-feasibility study conducted in 2010 concluded that nuclear energy would not be an option for Singapore given current technologies. But it also found a need for the island state to strengthen the capabilities to understand nuclear science and technology.
In 2014, more than S$63 million was set aside for the Nuclear Safety Research and Education Programme, to fund research and the development of nuclear safety, science and engineering over five years.
- CNA/mo
