AIR POLLUTION IN JURONG

The following Question stood in the name of Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon -

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon: To ask the Minister for the Environment what is the level of air pollution in the Jurong area and whether the air is safe for human beings.

Dr S. Vasoo (Tiong Bahru GRC): Question No.4,Sir.

The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Speaker, Sir, the levels of various air pollutants such as total acidity, smoke, suspended particles, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in various parts of Singapore, including Jurong, have been kept under continuous monitoring since 1971. The results show that the level of air pollution in Jurong, as well as in other parts of Singapore, is well within the ambient air quality standards recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

The levels of various pollutants in Jurong are not only within the standards but are also very low. For example, the 1988 levels of sulphur dioxide, total acidity and nitrogen dioxide in Jurong were 35, 24 and 35 ug/Nm3 respectively. The WHO standards for these pollutants are 80, 60 and 100 ug/Nm3 respectively.

As a large part of Jurong is industrial, the air in Jurong, admittedly, would not be as good as that in other parts of Singapore which are largely rural or residential.

Nonetheless, Sir, the air in Jurong is safe.

Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied GRC): Sir, what are the main sources of pollution in Jurong? Secondly, what steps have been taken to minimize the pollution from these sources?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Speaker, Sir, the more pollutive industries in Jurong are those with large fuel-burning equipment and these are mainly the petro-chemical plants,the oil refineries and the power stations. Besides complying with the emission standards specified in the Clean Air Act, these industries, as an added precaution, are sited at remote locations or on offshore islands so that the impact on population centres is further minimized.

Sir, other sources of pollution in Jurong, particularly the Jurong North Area, are the brickworks. It has nothing to do with Brickworks Constituency. In the past, when the area was scarcely populated, pollution from brickworks had little or no impact at all on the surrounding areas. With the development of highrise HDB flats in Jurong East, Jurong West and Bukit Batok, the soot from these brickworks are affecting the people; so they complain. What my Ministry had done was to require these brickworks to phase out the use of old kilns which were the main source of pollution because of the poor design. In fact, Sir, the brickworks which are allowed to remain in the Jurong North area are those with newer and cleaner kilns.