Cleaners dump rubbish into Bukit Panjang canal

By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia
29 August 2007

SINGAPORE: A viewer alerted Channel NewsAsia that cleaners of the Bukit Panjang canal, opposite Block 402, have been throwing the rubbish collected from one side of the canal to the other side.

By 9am every morning, residents said one of the cleaners would take a photo of the clean drain and send it to PUB, which is in charge of the canal.

But what is not shown is how the rubbish, which has not been properly disposed, will flow into the nearby reservoir.

The PUB said it would study the video footage first before making any comments.

20蔬菜样本通过农药测试 全部合格

by 吴俍祥 (Xin.sg)
28 August 2007

新传媒新闻报道，马来西亚的蔬菜含过量残余农药，基于进口到新加坡的蔬菜，将近一半来自马国，农粮局因此格外谨慎，上午抽取了20个蔬菜样本作残余农药测试，化验结果全部满意。

残余农药问题较常见于叶菜类蔬菜。农粮局抽查的20个样本来自彭亨金马伦，包括薄荷、菜心、芹菜、芥菜和芫荽。

农粮局食品出入口高级人员林丽丽说，“首先我们会检查他们的标签要求，标签上要有农场的名字跟地址，一旦发生事情我们可以追查到出事的源头。”

农粮局跟着暂时扣留受检验的蔬菜，直到六小时的化验报告，证实残余农药的分量低，才获准推出市面。

“从1998年开始我们就实行加强性管制措施来检验蔬菜，至今农药超标的蔬菜少过5%，这是符合国际性的标注，公众可以安心。“

农粮局表示，去年，进口蔬菜多来自马国，占48%，多达17万吨，其次为中国占20%。残余农药过量有可能是没有给予足够的时间让农药分解便进行收割。

农药超标的蔬菜必须在农粮局人员的监督下销毁，违例的进口商不仅得支付销毁费，也会被罚款，初犯者250元，如果在两个月里同类蔬菜又发生农药超标的问题，罚款将增加一倍，三个月不准进口。

Vegetables Contaminated

Samples in Selangor market tested positive, but S'pore imports safe

Tiffany Tan
tiffany@mediacorp.com.sg
Aug 28 2007 (TODAY)

Almost one-third of the vegetables from a Selangor wholesale market
contained pesticide residues exceeding the levels allowed by law.

This was the finding of a five-year study conducted by Malaysia's
Institute for Medical Research (IMR) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
the New Straits Times reported.

The study found that all celery and curry leaf samples taken from the
wholesale market in Selayang tested positive for three groups of
cancer-causing pesticides, the Malaysian daily reported.

At the same time, at least 40 per cent of the spinach, kangkung, round
cabbage and Chinese mustard were contaminated. Of the vegetables that
tested positive for residues, almost one-third exceeded the maximum level
allowed under Malaysian law.

IMR researcher Dr Nurul Izzah Ahmad described the findings as "alarming".
Despite this, he said the potential health risk of consuming these
pesticide residues is "low".

"We did not wash the vegetables prior to testing them, so that we could
get the maximum level of pesticide residue," he said.

"But before eating them, most people would have washed, soaked and cooked
the vegetables, greatly reducing the amount of residues consumed."

When asked if any of the vegetables in Singapore comes from the Selayang
market, Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said that it
did not matter which wholesale market the vegetables come from, as long as
the AVA could trace it to the source farms.

"All consignments of vegetables are tagged and the AVA can trace its
source," AVA assistant director for corporate communications Goh Shih
Yong told Today. The AVA has an inspection system to ensure that imported
vegetables are safe and wholesome for consumption, he said. "If food is
not safe, it cannot be sold."

Singapore imported from Malaysia, 178,970 tonnes of vegetables, or 48 per
cent of total imports, last year. That year, 41.8 tonnes of total imports
were destroyed due to excessive levels of pesticides.

Authorities confirm vegetables in Singapore safe to eat

By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
27 August 2007 2325 hrs

SINGAPORE: Vegetables available in Singapore are not affected by the cancerous pesticide found on vegetables in Selangor.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority says imported vegetables are put through a comprehensive checking system to make sure they are safe to eat.

Singapore imports 48 per cent of its vegetables from Malaysia.

Through a five-year study, researchers in Malaysia have recently found that some popular greens are highly contaminated with cancer-causing pesticide residues.

All celery and curry leaf samples taken from a wholesale market in Selayang were tested positive for three groups of pesticides.

At least 40 per cent of spinach, kangkong, round cabbage and Chinese mustard samples were tainted.

Scientists think the crops were harvested too early, before the pesticides could disintegrate.

They say potential health risks are small, as consumers will wash and cook the vegetables before eating. - CNA/ac

S'pore and M'sia discuss environmental issues

Aug 25 2007 (TODAY)

The next emergency response exercise for chemical spills at the
Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing will be held by Singapore, tentatively
in November.

The Republic will also organise the first table-top emergency response
exercise at the East Johor Straits, tentatively in the first quarter of
next year.

Cooperation will also extend to preventing oil spills in the straits.
These were some issues discussed at the Annual Exchange of Visits between
the environment ministries of Singapore and Malaysia.

Singapore's Minister Yaacob Ibrahim visited Malaysia on Aug 24 and 25 at
the invitation of his counterpart, Dr Azmi Khalid. Both were accompanied
by senior officials.

The progress of work carried out by the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee
on the Environment was reviewed, and issues discussed included the
regional transboundary haze and climate change. Both sides agreed to share
information - for instance, where it comes to mitigating climate change,
by focusing on energy efficiency and joint training programmes for
capacity-building.

A Killer Called Noise

Aug 24 2007 (TODAY)

Din of modern life blamed for thousands of heart deaths

LONDON - Thousands of people around the world are dying prematurely from
heart disease triggered by long-term exposure to excessive noise,
according to research by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Coronary heart disease caused 101,000 deaths in the United Kingdom last
year and the study suggests that 3,030 of these were caused by noise
exposure, including daytime traffic.

Mr Deepak Prasher, professor of audiology at University College London,
told the New Scientist magazine: "The data provides the link showing there
are earlier deaths because of noise … and people haven't been aware that
it has an impact on their health."

The WHO working group on the Noise Environmental Burden on Disease began
work on the health effects of noise in Europe in 2003.

In addition to the heart dis- ease link, it found that 2 per cent of
Europeans suffer severely disturbed sleep because of noise pollution and
15 per cent can suffer severe annoyance. Chronic exposure to loud traffic
noise causes 3 per cent of tinnitus cases, in which people constantly hear
a ringing noise in their ears.

Recent published research has shown that noise can increase the levels of
stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenalin in the
body, even during sleep.

The longer these hormones stay in the bloodstream, the more likely they
are to cause life-threatening problems. High stress levels can lead to
heart failure, stroke, high blood pressure and immune problems.

The WHO came to its figures by comparing households with abnormally high
exposure to noise with those in quieter homes.

According to the WHO guidelines, the noise threshold for cardiovascular
problems is chronic nighttime exposure of 50 decibels (dB) or above - the
noise of light traffic. For sleep disturbance, the threshold is 42dB, for
general annoyance it is 35dB, the sound of a whisper.

Ms Mary Stevens, policy officer at the National Society for Clean Air said
that there were many options for reducing noise. Traffic could be
quietened if more cars used low-noise tyres and councils installed
low-noise road surfaces, for example. And coordinating roadworks by
utility companies would also prevent the proliferation of potholes,
another source of noisy traffic. - The Guardian

Singapore Shipping Firm Fined $15m For Alaska Spill

Ansley Ng
ansley@mediacorp.com.sg
Aug 24 2007 (TODAY)

AN American court has ordered a Singapore shipping firm to pay a
US$10-million ($15.2-million) penalty for an oil spill, after one of its
ships ran aground near an Alaskan wildlife haven, killing thousands of
migratory birds and sparking a US$100-million cleanup.

The Malaysian-flagged tanker Selendang Ayu, owned by IMC Shipping, ran
aground and sank near Unalaska Island, off the south-western coast of
Alaska on Dec 8, 2004.

IMC Shipping is the shipping arm of Singapore-based IMC Group, which also
has business in property and natural resources development.

IMC spokesman James Lawrence told Today that the company paid the US$100
million for the cleanup, which went on for "more than two summers". It was
completed in June last year with the help of several companies and
government agencies, as well as the community.

On Wednesday, the United States Justice Department said that the company,
one of the world's largest privately held shipping groups, would pay the
US$10 million criminal fine, of which US$3 million would be for community
service in the polluted area, while US$1 million would be used to help the
wildlife haven.

The company pleaded guilty to two charges under the Refuse Act and one
under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The fine was the result of a plea agreement with the Justice Department.
IMC still faces a civil lawsuit by the state of Alaska and the US federal
government.

"IMC has worked closely and fully cooperated with the relevant
authorities, including the US National Trans-portation Safety Board,
during their investigations," Mr Lawrence said.

The Selendang Ayu was en route from Seattle, US, to the Chinese port city
of Xiamen, transiting the Bering Sea when its engine failed.

After drifting for three days, it ran aground under severe weather and
sank near Unalaska Island.

Thousands of metric tonnes of soybeans and 1.3 million litres of bunker
oil spilled into the sea. Also, six of the 26-member ship crew were killed
when a US Coast Guard helicopter crashed during a rescue attempt. More
than 1,600 birds and six sea otters were found dead after the spill.

China's Bicycle Solution

Aug 22 2007 (TODAY)

Bid to reduce pollution prompts rental scheme

BEIJING - The Chinese authorities have launched a new bicycle rental
scheme in a bid to reduce pollution and ease traffic congestion in the
capital of Beijing.

According to China Daily, 50,000 bicycles will be available for rent
soon - at a cost of 100 yuan (20 cents) for a one-year contract or 20 yuan
per day.

Under the scheme, users have to pay a deposit of 400 yuan - which is
refundable, less annual rental fees, upon the return of the bicycle.

In recent months, the authorities in Beijing have conducted trials of the
service, whereby some 5,000 bicycles were available for rent at 31
locations.

"It has proved really popular, so it is worth rolling it out across the
city," Mr Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing municipal
environmental protection bureau, was quoted by the Beijing News as saying.

It is estimated that the expanded network will cover 200 outlets - that
are located near to subway stations, Olympic venues, as well as hotels and
office buildings - by the time the 2008 Olympics kick-off next August.

"Organisations and individuals are welcome to join our service network for
free, as long as they can provide an area about the size of one parking
space," Mr Wang Yong, general manager of Beijing Bicycle Rental Services,
was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Mr Wang said that his company would provide all the bicycles for rent, and
franchise outlets would receive 1 yuan a day for each bike they operate as
running costs.

The launch of the bicycle rental scheme came following the success of the
four-day car reduction test last week, in which more than 1 million cars
each day were barred from the roads.

While the most obvious benefit of the test was the reduction in traffic
congestion, the Beijing Environment Protection Monitoring Centre noted
that the air quality in the capital improved during the four-day period.

China hails car trial a 'success'

By Michael Bristow
BBC News, Beijing
21 August 2007

A four-day scheme that took 1.3 million cars off Beijing's streets reduced air pollution by 15-20%, officials in the Chinese capital say.

Moving around the city was also easier during the test period, with the speed of vehicles up by more than 50%.

Beijing hopes to repeat the scheme next year to cut both pollution and traffic when the city hosts the Olympic Games.

But officials ducked questions over whether the air quality was good enough for athletes taking part in the games.

IOC warning

Speaking at a press conference to announce the results of the car ban, environmental official Du Shaozhong declared himself satisfied.

"I am sure we will be able to ensure good air quality during the Olympic Games," he said, although he admitted four days was not long enough to make a big difference to pollution levels.

Four types of pollutants, including carbon monoxide and small particles, were tested over the four-day period, which ended on Monday.

Mr Du, who bicycled to work during the car ban, could not say whether the improved air quality would have made the atmosphere good enough to run a marathon.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge recently said endurance events could be cancelled if the air quality is not up to scratch.

Mr Du would only say that if air quality met national standards it would be good enough for "all kinds of outdoor exercises".

Fewer private cars on the road meant more people used public transport. Passenger numbers were up by 15%, it was revealed.

This meant buses - there were 800 more of them on the roads - could travel at 20 km/h (12mph) instead of the usual 14 km/h (9mph).

Chinese officials also had a kind word for the 6,500 police officers on duty during the four days, many of whom had "overcome fatigue" to ensure the test went off smoothly.

During the test period, odd-numbered cars were banned on Saturday and Monday, while cars with even-numbered registrations had to stay off the roads on Friday and Sunday.

Arsenic Leaks Into Southern China River

Aug 14 2007 (TODAY)

BEIJING - A chemical plant leaked arsenic into a river in southern China
that supplies water to at least 20,000 people, a human rights group said.

High levels of arsenic and other chemicals have killed at least 10,000
fish in the 70km Chongan river in Guizhou, the Hong Kong-based Information
Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said on Sunday.

No human injuries have been reported, the group said. Provincial and local
environmental agencies have gone to the area, it added.

Calls to the local government office and the provincial environmental
office rang unanswered yesterday.

China's waterways are dangerously polluted after decades of rapid economic
growth and lax enforcement of pollution controls. Last month, a lead-zinc
spill in a river in Hunan province forced a one-day cut in water supplies
to more than 200,000 people.

In 2005, an accident caused a chemical plant to spew tonnes of toxic
nitrobenzene and other chemicals into north China's Songhua River, forcing
authorities to temporarily halt supplies of running water to millions of
people. - AP

A Lifestyle On The Reservoir

Aug 9 2007 (TODAY)

From being the venue for this year's NDP, the Marina Basin will soon be an
exhilarating site for recreation, thanks to PUB

Just 2.5km away from this year's National Day Parade at Marina Bay is a
project that is equally, if not more, massive.

Called the Marina Barrage, the development will see a dam being built
across the Marina Channel, transforming the Marina Basin into Singapore's
first reservoir in the city - the Marina Reservoir.

The 350m-wide dam operated by PUB, the national water agency, will have
nine water gates, intelligent water level sensors, automated water pumps
and a visitor centre sheltered by a landscape roof that doubles up as a
park.

After its completion at the end of this year, the dam will effectively
shut out the open sea. This will ensure a constant water level in the
reservoir, which will not be affected by tides.

The water, which covers a surface area of 240ha, will make the reservoir
an ideal venue for recreational activities such as boating, windsurfing
and water-skiing.

But PUB won't have to wait till next year for its latest venture to be in
the limelight. That the Marina Reservoir was chosen to host the NDP -
ahead of the dam's completion - was a vote of confidence in the venue's
potential for hosting major events in the future.

PUB's director of drainage, Mr Yap Kheng Guan, said: "This is only an
indicator of bigger things to come."

One of these is its Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters programme, a
project which is being rolled out over the next 20 years.

This programme is, in turn, part of PUB's larger strategic objective to
bring people closer to water, so that they can better appreciate and
cherish this precious resource.

Even though this is the third year that PUB will be part of the marching
contingents, the location makes it exceptionally significant for the
company.

Said assistant contingent commander of the 72-strong PUB squad, Mr Bernard
Tan: "It is an NDP that's held on our own reservoir. And I feel proud of
that."

To commemorate it, PUB also sponsored 500,000 bottles of Newater, with
specially designed labels featuring its mascot, a raindrop called Water
Wally.

But Mr Yap also reminds us that it isn't just up to the sponsors or the
participants to make the parade a success. "We need as much help as
possible in keeping the waters clean. The water belongs to everyone," he
urged.

"Water that's going into the reservoir is coming from one-sixth of
Singapore's land area, from as far as Ang Mo Kio," he added.

Singapore's water system of drains and canals is so well connected that a
careless toss of junk into a drain in the heartlands could end up in the
city waters - definitely not a pretty sight for NDP.

In 2009, when Marina Basin becomes Marina Reservoir, it would be as Mr Tan
said: "The NDP spectators will actually be looking at the very water that
they will drink."

Good that this year's parade is a timely reminder then, to give us a
two-year head start. Serene Huang

Whip Up Dinner, Melt A Glacier

Aug 3 2007 (TODAY)

BANGKOK - Huge haze clouds over the Indian Ocean contribute as much to
atmospheric warming as greenhouse gases and play a significant role in the
melting of the Himalayan glaciers, according to a study published
yesterday.

Scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan and his colleagues sent unmanned
measuring devices into the haze pollution - known as atmospheric brown
clouds - over the Indian Ocean last year.

Measuring aerosol concentrations, soot levels and solar radiation, the
team concluded that the pollution - mostly caused by the burning of wood
and plant matter for cooking in South Asia - enhanced heating of the
atmosphere by around 50 per cent, and contributed to about half of the
temperature increases blamed in recent decades for the glacial retreat.

Mr Ramanathan, a chief scientist at the University of California San
Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said his team's research
shows that the clouds are an additional factor in the melting of glaciers,
along with overall global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Until this study, published in the British journal Nature, scientists
believed the brown clouds mostly deflected sunlight and cooled the
atmosphere. But as the study now shows, the particles also absorb sunlight
and warm the atmosphere much more than previously believed. - Agencies

Bus interchanges the most littered places in Singapore: survey

By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia
27 July 2007 1844 hrs

SINGAPORE: About 53.7 percent of Singaporeans who were surveyed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) said littering was not a serious problem here.

The study also found that 39.2 percent of the respondents were not concerned about littering and 20.3 percent did not take pride in keeping Singapore litter-free.

In addition to that, 13.6 percent of the respondents thought littering was a socially acceptable behaviour while 8.6 percent said littering would not lead to hygiene problems.

Of those surveyed, 7.5 percent did not think litter was harmful to the environment.

Results of the NEA Littering Behaviour Study, conducted over a period of six months, were released on Friday at the launch of the Litter-Free Bus Services Programme at the Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange.

The programme, which was launched by Minister of State for Transport and Finance Lim Hwee Hua, aims to encourage Singaporeans not to litter.

The NEA study showed that bus interchanges were considered the most littered public places in Singapore.

Besides displaying posters and banners on this programme in 21 bus interchanges and more than 3,650 buses, this litter-free initiative also involves the concerted efforts of stakeholders such as bus operators, commuters, cleaners, bus captains and shop tenants.

Mrs Lim hopes the new programme will remind Singaporeans to take ownership for the cleanliness of their environment.

She said: "From time to time, we need to raise awareness; we need to remind people again that it takes everyone's efforts to make this work and to sustain this on an ongoing basis, because litter will not just disappear by itself. Litter will have to be carefully and properly disposed (of)."

Water in Sungei Serangoon canal not toxic: NEA

By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
17 May 2007 1845 hrs

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) has carried out tests on water samples from Sungei Serangoon canal where thousands of dead fish were found on Wednesday.

The results show the water did not contain any toxic contaminants.

In a joint statement with the PUB, the NEA says it is still carrying out tests to find out why the fish died.

It sent its officers to collect water samples from the canal on Wednesday, and is now working with PUB on the investigations.

The PUB says it cleared the dead fish from the canal on Wednesday.

As a precautionary measure, the public has been advised not to fish in the area or consume any fish caught.

The NEA says it will continue to monitor the water quality and inform the public when the situation is back to normal. - CNA/yy