HAZE (Request to Indonesian government for solution)

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for the Environment whether the Government has taken up the issue of the haze affecting the health of Singaporeans with the Indonesian government and whether the Government has made a formal request to the Indonesian government for measures to solve the haze problem and to prevent a recurrence of such a problem in the future.

The Minister for the Environment (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Questions 1 to 6 together since they concern the same topic?

Mr Speaker: Yes.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, the current smoke haze affecting the region is caused by land and forest fires in Indonesia. Indonesian officials have reported that as much as 80% of the fires are caused by large-scale clearing of forests for plantation land. The remaining 20% are due to the traditional slash-and-burn practice by farmers. Given the prolonged drought in Indonesia, reported to be its worst in 50 years, many of these fires have spread to surrounding areas and raged out of control. The resulting smoke haze is very widespread, affecting Singapore and the neighbouring countries.

The smoke haze problem is a matter of very serious concern to the Government and to all Singaporeans. It puts the health of our population under threat, and it can have major repercussions on our economy. The Government has therefore acted swiftly and decisively on the issue. We have raised the transboundary haze issue with the Indonesian authorities, both on a bilateral basis and in regional meetings. We began doing so long before the start of the current haze episode. Aside from registering our concerns with the Indonesian authorities and urging them to take effective actions to curb the haze problem, we have also offered our cooperation and assistance in tackling the problem.

In a major step to curb burning by plantation owners, President Suharto announced an indefinite ban on land clearing by burning on 9th September 1997, and plantation owners were threatened with suspension of their licences and other legal action if they defied the ban. Also, at the opening ceremony of the 7th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Jakarta on 16th September 1997, President Suharto emphasised his country's commitment and determination to control the fires. During the meeting, the Indonesian State Minister of the Environment spelt out Indonesia's action plans and programmes to fight the fires.

The Indonesian authorities have since taken enforcement actions against plantation owners in Kalimantan and Sumatra for clearing land by burning. They have earlier issued warnings and show-cause letters to some 176 companies which have violated the ban, and have to date taken action to revoke 154 permits issued to 29 private companies.

Indonesia has mobilised 50,000 military personnel to beef up its fire-fighting operations in Sumatra and Kalimantan. It has also set up a 24-hour Command Post to track and monitor land and forest fires. The Command Post is located in Jakarta in the office of the Environmental Impact Management Agency (BAPEDAL) under the Indonesian State Ministry of Environment. In addition, Indonesia has commenced cloud-seeding operations in Sumatra in a bid to combat the drought and put out fires. If proven successful, these operations will be extended to Kalimantan.

On our part, Singapore has extended full co-operation to Indonesia in its efforts to control the fires and smoke haze. To help the Indonesians locate fires and plan their fire-fighting, we have been sending them daily satellite pictures showing the location of hot spots. For the cloud-seeding operations, Singapore assists by providing daily information on cloud formations and wind data. We have also trained some of their officials in the areas of satellite imagery and air quality monitoring.

Indonesia has invited Singapore to help man its Command Post in Jakarta. A three-member fact-finding team visited the Command Post last month, on 25th and 26th September, to discuss with the Indonesian officials, the specific areas in which Singapore could offer further assistance in tackling the smoke haze problem. Several areas have been identified. Starting from 30th September, teams of environmental and meteorological experts from Singapore are being attached to the Command Post on rotation to assist the Indonesians in locating and tracking fires. The attachment will continue for the duration of the haze period.

In terms of equipment support, Singapore is providing Indonesia with hand-held global positioning system (GPS) sets for their field officers, INMARSAT Communications equipment for direct communication between field offices in remote areas and Jakarta via satellite, and computers for the Command Post. These equipment will help enhance Indonesia's monitoring and enforcement capabilities. We have also finalised plans to send air monitoring equipment to help Indonesia monitor the smoke haze situation in Sumatra.

In addition, my Ministry and the Meteorological Service Department will jointly conduct further training courses for Indonesian officials in air quality monitoring and satellite imagery.

MINDEF is also involved in our cooperation effort with Indonesia. The SAF yesterday despatched an RFAF C130 Aircraft to assist Abri in its efforts to fight the haze. The aircraft is based at Bandung's Hussein Sastranegara Airport to carry out haze dispersion operations. It may also be used for airlift operation as required by Abri. The aircraft is accompanied by a full crew and personnel to carry out the dispensing of chemicals.

Sir, on the home-front, my Ministry chairs an inter-ministry haze task force that formulates overall strategies and guidelines to help our citizens and residents cope with the smoke haze situation. This task force was formed in 1994, when Singapore was similarly affected by smoke haze. It drew up a Haze Action Plan in 1994, setting out the broad response plans for different ranges of the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI). This year, the task force expanded on the Haze Action Plan and is coordinating the efforts of key Government agencies in fine-tuning their individual action plans and the standard operating procedures. I can assure this House that the Government has in readiness the necessary plans to help Singaporeans cope during the haze period.

Members of the House would have read about the salient features of the Haze Action Plan as well as the individual action plans of key agencies such as the Ministries of Education and Health. Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the key elements of the Haze Action Plan.

When the 24-hour PSI remains largely below 100, which is the situation so far, the main task is to provide the public frequent air quality updates and health advisories. This is being done with hourly updates on the PSI through the media, on an Internet web page, and over the telephone through a haze info-line. The Meteorological Service Department also provides regular weather forecasts and updates on the haze situation.

The provision of haze-related information to the public would be further intensified should the 24-hour PSI creep towards 200 or breach this level. The Haze Task Force, which now meets weekly, will meet more frequently to closely and critically appraise the situation and decide on the activation of certain response plans. For example, when the 24-hour PSI stays between 201 and 300, which is the "very unhealthy" range, we would decide on the need to require factories with fuel-burning equipment to further cut down on emissions, and vehicle fleet owners to implement additional measures to reduce emissions from their vehicles.

When the 24-hour PSI is between 301 and 400, the air quality is in the "hazardous" range. The Haze Task Force would advise Government agencies on the need for closure of schools, childcare centres and sport facilities, and stoppage of military training and outdoor work.

If the 24-hour PSI persists above 400, the Civil Defence Force's public warning system would be used to alert the public. The public will also be informed on the healthcare precautions to take through the radio and TV media.

While it is possible that the 24-hour PSI may exceed the 200-mark on some days, the likelihood of the PSI entering the `hazardous' range of 301 to 400 or even persisting above 200 is low, based on air quality trends and other information that we have so far. Given the on-going efforts in Indonesia to control the raging fires, we would hope that the current situation will not take an unexpected turn for the worse between now and November, when the north-east monsoon is expected to set in and end the threat of smoke haze.

Mr Charles Chong has asked about MINDEF's military training. MINDEF has indicated that military training will continue as normal when the PSI is between 101 and 200, but soldiers should not be made to run more than 5 km or go on road marches longer than 8 km. If the PSI is between 201 and 300, physical training would be held indoors and extra training would be cancelled. MINDEF has indicated that operational and field training will continue if the PSI is below 300.

I will now address Members' questions on the health effects of the smoke haze. As I have mentioned earlier, the 24-hour PSI readings have remained mostly below 100 since the onset of this year's haze episode. Given this situation, the health effects of haze are mainly caused by the irritant effects of fine dust particles on the nose, throat, airways, skin and eyes. The effects would depend on the severity of the haze. There is also individual variation depending on one's ability to tolerate air pollution. Most people would experience sneezing, runny nose, eye irritation, dry throat and dry cough from the pollutant. These symptoms are mild and pose no danger to the health of the general population.

However, persons with medical problems like asthma, chronic lung disease, chronic sinusitis and allergic skin conditions are likely to be more affected by the haze and they may experience more severe symptoms. Children and the elderly in general are more likely to be affected. For some, symptoms may worsen with physical activities.

For persons under medical treatment, it is important that they take their medication regularly. Persons with chronic heart and lung problems are advised not to engage in outdoor sporting activities if the PSI is above 100. There is otherwise no need to take extraordinary precautions.

My Ministry has also received many queries on the usefulness of face masks. We have informed the public that surgical or other similar masks are not effective in filtering out the fine particles present in the smoke haze. Such masks will only give a false sense of well-being to the users. On the other hand, there are special masks, referred to as `respirators', which are designed to protect workers exposed to occupational health hazards. These respirators are effective in filtering out fine particles.

Sir, given our current air quality, there is no need for the general public to use respirators. However, respirators may be useful for those with chronic cardio-respiratory illness, but they should only be used on the recommendation of the attending doctors. For the general population, if the haze is intense with the 24-hour PSI exceeding 200, those who need to work outdoors for prolonged periods may find that respirators could provide some relief.

Dr Tan Boon Wan (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether the haze is carcinogenic in any form.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, we have searched for the information through various literature and we have not found any information on whether such haze particles over the period that we are being exposed to could be carcinogenic.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether he agrees that the current haze situation in Indonesia is due to a natural disaster.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, I have already answered that just now. Perhaps, the Member was not listening properly. I have stated that the authorities in Indonesia had said that 80% of the haze was created initially by land clearing and forest clearing activities through burning by large plantation owners and the remaining 20% was due to the traditional slash-and-burn practices of the small farmers. However, because of the prolonged drought, these fires have now spread to other areas and have reached out of control.

Dr Tan Boon Wan: May I ask the Minister whether there is any long-term effect of the haze on the health of Singaporeans who are exposed to it? We do not see the effect immediately now, but will there be any long-term effect, and if there is, how would this be seen in form and time?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, to explain this, I should also explain to Members the basis for the PSI readings. The PSI readings that we are using are taken from the system that has been drawn up by the US Environmental Protection Agency and they have drawn up this PSI system based on research over many, many years of prolonged exposure of populations to pollution levels at certain ambient levels. For example, they have rated PSI 101 to 200 as being unhealthy. But that is only unhealthy if the population is exposed to this level of pollution for 24 hours each day over many, many years. In that context, in Singapore, the PSI level has gone up above 100 only on eight occasions this year and even then, it is for very short periods of time. In the context of epidemiological research which has been carried out by the US, which assumes exposure over many years, I think Singaporeans are quite safe because our exposure has been very limited.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock (Ayer Rajah): Can I ask the Minister whether his Ministry has done any in-depth study of the air pollutants? You cannot talk about the effects unless you know what is in the air. You cannot assume that there is only wood burning. There could be other things that are being burned. I think it is important that this House should have an idea of what are the air pollutants present.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, I can assure the Member that we have taken measurements of the major pollutants. The PSI system measures not just the dust particles in the air but also the level of the five major air pollutants, namely, ozone, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. So all these pollutants are measured.

Dr Lee Tsao Yuan (Nominated Member): Could I ask the Minister whether in the spirit of ASEAN cooperation, Singapore and the other ASEAN countries could do more in the next few weeks and also in terms of preventive measures in future?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, the ASEAN Ministers of the key countries that have been affected, I understand, have been in close contact with the Indonesian Minister. For example, I have been talking to my counterpart, Minister Sarwono, on the phone over the last few days as well. And we are all offering to the Indonesians assistance in areas that we have expertise or resources in. I have also discussed with Minister Sarwono that it may be useful for the ASEAN Ministers of the countries affected to meet together after the haze problem has been solved, maybe at the end of the year or early next year, to discuss how we can better address this issue in future years and to prevent future recurrences of the haze problem of this extent.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock: Sir, the Minister mentioned about the various types of pollutants. I would like to ask the Minister which particular component is very high. He mentioned about oxide of nitrogen. I know that oxide of nitrogen is one of the main pollutants of wood burning. Is it very high? I want to know how high is it. Because it has an effect on the health of Singaporeans.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, our studies have shown that other than dust particulates, the other pollutants have not changed very much.

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed (Cheng San): Sir, I am personally reassured by the measures taken by the Government on the haze. I would like to ask whether, in fact, it is sufficient to have just one measure for the whole of Singapore. Because there were occasions when we saw that the PSI was below 70 PSI but it looked as though it was above 100.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, there are two parts to the question. First, whether we should have PSI indicators for different parts of the island and, secondly, the correlation between the PSI reading and a person's perception of visibility. Firstly, in terms of the need to have multiple PSI readings for the whole of Singapore, the answer is that there is really no need, because the haze is very extensive. It covers the whole region. With the prevailing winds blowing into Singapore, the haze situation equalises very quickly. There may be some time lapse between, say, Jurong and perhaps Marine Parade. But over a very short period of time, the haze really equalises throughout the whole of Singapore. So there is really no need to have different PSI indicators.

Secondly, in terms of correlation between PSI reading and visibility, Members should also understand that the PSI readings are taken over an average of three hours. So what you see on the TV screen does not reflect the PSI reading as at present, but the PSI reading of the preceding three hours. So if the pollutant levels are increasing, then what you are seeing is a time lapse between what you see and the PSI level. If the PSI is actually on the downward trend, what you see with your eyes and what you see on the TV screen are again different. Because we may think that the sky is clearing, but the PSI reading is still showing a fairly high reading. That is one. Secondly, the visibility perception is also quite deceiving. Because in the early morning hours, after a rainfall and with the mist in the air, the visibility impact is enhanced, in the sense that it appears to be more misty than the figures show otherwise.

Mr J. B. Jeyaretnam (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, are we to understand from the Minister that apart from providing hourly updated information to our residents and giving advice on how they could cope with it, the Government has no other plans to try to see how the risk to our citizens may be minimized? Is that so? Or has the Government any plans to minimize the risk? Has the Government considered, eg, cloud seeding operations in Singapore?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, the most effective way is to solve this problem at source, and that is what we have been doing all along. For the past few months, we have been sending to the Indonesians satellite photographs which show the hot spots so that they can quickly get to the hot spots and put out the fires. And we have observed that a few days after, those hot spots did disappear, except that other hot spots appeared in other locations as well. So, it is an ongoing fight which the Indonesian government authorities have been actively engaged in. We have also provided them with various equipment which enhance their enforcement capabilities as well as help them to more accurately identify where the hot spots are. And these are all activities which will help put out the fires and therefore reduce the haze.

As regards cloud seeding over Singapore, cloud seeding is actually most effective if done over where the fires are, because you want to put out the fires. Seeding in Singapore, first, is not feasible, because we are very small. It is very difficult to predict the wind directions and how fast the effect of the seeding will take impact. We may seed here expecting that it will take effect maybe in half an hour's time and that the wind will blow here, to find that actually the effect takes place only in three hours' time, in which case the rain will be falling in the ocean. Singapore is too small a place for cloud seeding activities to be effective, and that is why we have not engaged in such activities.

Dr Toh See Kiat (Aljunied): Sir, the Minister has said that the PSI standards are taken from the US EPA. May I ask the Minister whether and how these standards are relevant in Singapore and whether there have been any studies on this?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, whilst the average American may be a little bit bigger, I would expect that Singaporeans and Americans are similar, and the impact on us will be very similar too. And they have devised this PSI system after many, many years of epidemiological studies. It is now a worldwide standard. So I think we are on strong grounds to adopt this system for Singapore.

Encik Harun A. Ghani (Hong Kah): Sir, the Minister mentioned that the PSI reading is taken on an average, meaning that in some places, the reading is higher. I understand that the PSI reading in Jurong is always higher than other places. If the average PSI reading is 200 or 300, what would be the reading in my constituency? Can the Minister explain? I am worried about my constituents.

Some hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, I would like to remind the hon. Member that my constituency is also Hong Kah Constituency and that I am equally concerned.

As I have explained just now on whether there is a need to have multiple readings for different locations, because the haze is so pervasive that if the wind is blowing from the Marine Parade side to Jurong and is blowing in a heavy intensity of haze, then the Marine Parade side will get a higher reading first followed shortly after by the Jurong side, and vice versa. This haze is affecting the whole region and therefore geographical distances of 3-4 kilometres will not make much of a difference, other than a few minutes of time lapse.

Mr S. Iswaran (West Coast): Sir, notwithstanding the Minister's explanation, could he say whether there is a systematic difference, eg, in places in the West Coast which are in close proximity to petrochemical plants and refineries, and whether the haze level readings will be systematically higher?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, the current problem is dust particles. The major dust particles are really from the fires in Indonesia. In that context, the differential between, say, areas in Jurong and areas in the East would be extremely small or negligible.

Mr Speaker: A last question from Dr Tan Boon Wan.

Dr Tan Boon Wan: Sir, we have a long bout of haze in Singapore. I would like the Minister to tell us how long more will Singaporeans be exposed to the current bout of haze. And to crystal gaze from this period until the haze ends, what is the possibility of the PSI exceeding the 200-300 levels?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, I wish I had a crystal ball. The meteorological experts have told us that normally by late September, we should be experiencing the early effects of the north east monsoon. However, because of the El Nino effects, this would be delayed between a month and six weeks. What we can expect is that probably by the end of October, we should be getting the benefit of some changes in wind direction during the inter-monsoon period, in which case the smoke would be blown away from Singapore, rather than towards Singapore.

As to whether there is a likelihood of the haze going above 200 or even the 300 region, gauging from today's report in the newspapers of the press interview carried out by Environment Minister Sarwono and five of his Ministerial colleagues, I think the commitment of the Indonesian government towards solving the fire problems has been well reflected. And I hope they are able to now translate that commitment into enhanced actions, which again I am quite hopeful about because President Suharto has told Abri to chip in and do its best. So with all the immense resources that Indonesia has, I am quite hopeful that the problem will be kept under control and that the risk of the PSI going above 200 would be fairly minimal.