CLEAN AIR (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

6.20 p.m.

The Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office (Haji Ya'acob Bin Mohamed): (In Malay): Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Clean Air Act, 1971, has been in operation for three years now. It has proved to be effective. Thus, many industrial and trade premises which used to cause excessive air pollution have now been brought under surveillance and control. The air pollution Situation in Singapore has not deteriorated although many new factories have been established in the last few years.

However, a number of minor inadequacies have been detected in the course of implementation of the Act. The Clean Air (Amendment) Bill seeks to rectify this situation so as to provide for better control of air pollution and for more effective enforcement.

Sir, construction sites often give rise to localised air pollution resulting in public complaints, if activities such as the operation of a concrete mixing plant and the open burning of used construction materials are carried out. Such activities have to be controlled. This Bill will bring construction sites within the definition of "industrial or trade premises" so that the Clean Air Act, 1971, will also apply to these sites.

In older industrial and trade premises, air pollution is often caused by the use of obsolete and inefficient methods of operation and process. To solve this, the occupiers of such premises may be required to change or alter the methods of operation or process to those involving less air pollution. In other cases, the Director of Air Pollution Control may require the occupiers to dismantle or disconnect any industrial plant or equipment which are found to cause excessive pollution. The Bill will extend the scope of requirements which the Director may impose to include those just mentioned.

Since the passing of the Prohibition on the Use of Open Fires Order, 1973, the incidence of open burning in Singapore has decreased tremendously. This has helped to reduce low level air pollution. However, in the enforcement, there has been some difficulty in proving the charge of open burning within industrial and trade premises, as such an act is usually committed by the occupier of the premises when the enforcement officers are not around. To overcome this, the relevant section in the Clean Air Act will be amended by including a presumptive clause making the occupier responsible for the offence if open burning were to be found in his premises.

While many occupiers of existing industrial and trade premises have installed or plan to install air pollution control equipment, there are some recalcitrants who prefer to pay the fines when brought to court rather than take corrective measures. Sir, this is not desirable in the long-term. Therefore, it is necessary to empower the Magistrate's Court or District Court to impose the maximum penalty or punishment for offences under the Clean Air Act and Regulations, if the fines were to be a sufficient deterrent.

Sir, in seeking these amendments I would like to assure that a balanced approach, taking into consideration not only the wider interests of the community but also the specific interests of other sectors, will continue to prevail as had been done in the implementation of the Clean Air Act, 1971.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the BilI.-[Haji Ya'acob Bin Mohamed].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.