REFUSE DISPOSAL PLANTS

Mr Yeoh Ghim Seng asked the Minister for Health how many refuse disposal plants are operated by his Ministry, and whether there are any plans to erect more of such plants.

The Minister for Health (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, refuse disposal at the moment in Singapore is by dumping of the collected refuse into swamplands under controlled conditions. There are three such refuse dumping grounds on the island located at the 7 ms. Tampines Road, in Koh Sek Lim Road, and at the end of Choa Chu Kang Road. The Public Health Division collects and transports all refuse to these sites for disposal every day, with about 85 per cent of all refuse disposed of in this manner being dumped at the Tampines refuse dumping ground.

There are accordingly no mechanical refuse disposal plants being operated by this Ministry. However, in view of the shortage of land for industrialisation and for development into commercial and residential complexes, dumping of refuse into swamplands, although a less expensive method of refuse disposal, is considered no more appropriate as the swampland so reclaimed is unsuitable for housing or industrial development. Such method of dumping is also not very satisfactory from the health point of view as it gives rise to stench and some fly breeding in the dumping area.

To this end, this Ministry has considered the suitability of using other methods of refuse disposal such as composting, incineration, controlled tipping and the more recent technique of compacting refuse into high density bales and using these compacted refuse bales for land reclamation.

The use of compacted bales of refuse for land reclamation work has been successfully exploited in Japan and appears to be an economical way of refuse disposal which may be adopted with advantage in Singapore, especially when used in conjunction with land reclamation schemes, for light or single storey structures for industrial or residential purposes.

This Ministry is, in addition, actively considering the feasibility of building an incinerator not only for disposal of part of the daily refuse tonnage, but also to facilitate the proper disposal of carcasses, condemned foodstuffs, security documents, and other material that require incineration for proper disposal.