MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT

MR LEE YOCK SUAN Minister for the Environment

Environmental Infrastructure and Services

1. Given our limited land and the high cost of solid waste disposal, we will encourage households and industries to generate less waste. We will promote recycling where it makes economic sense.

2. We will develop new refuse handling and disposal facilities to cope with the waste generated from increasing economic activities. A fourth refuse incineration plant will be completed by April 2000, and we are planning a fifth plant. We will involve the private sector in the provision of refuse disposal services. We will explore the use of the pneumatic refuse collection system to improve refuse collection services.

3. We are implementing the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) which will meet our sewerage needs through the 21st century. With the DTSS, we will progressively phase out the existing sewage pumping stations and sewage treatment works.

4. We will implement drainage schemes for flood prevention and alleviation. We will widen and deepen Alexandra Canal and Sungei Punggol. We will study the feasibility of constructing a barrage across the mouth of the Marina Bay to reduce the possibility of floods in the marina catchment, provide a source of water for treatment to potable standards and enhance the aesthetics of the rivers and waterfront of the Marina Basin.

Environmental Management

5. We will monitor closely air and water quality, and environmental noise levels, and introduce appropriate policies and control measures to enhance the quality of our living environment.

6. We will play our role in keeping our counterparts in neighbouring countries informed of forest fire and smoke haze. We will co-operate with them and the international community to reduce transboundary pollution and protect the global environment.

Public Health

7. We will continue our public education programme to encourage Singaporeans to be environmentally responsible. We will pay particular attention to the cleanliness of housing estates and public toilets, and littering. We will encourage civic groups to lead the community in environmental protection efforts.

8. Infectious diseases and environmental hazards will pose challenges to public health in the new millennium. We will continue our epidemiological surveillance and research. We will prepare ourselves to be able to respond to the unexpected by building early warning systems, developing inter-agency plans, and strengthening regional co-operation. In particular, we will strive to reduce the incidence of vector borne diseases like dengue haemorrhagic fever. This means researching reliable entomological indicators which give early warning of impending outbreaks, and licensing Environmental Control Officers to take care of building and construction sites.

9. We are also concerned with the emergence of new diseases associated with livestock. To improve public health standards, we will put in place a comprehensive chilled meat system for the retailing of pork in wet markets and other outlets. We will extend the system in phases to cover all retailed meats. In addition, we will maintain vigilance over the food health situation both internationally and locally. We will strengthen our regulatory food control system to enable continual filtering out of any unsafe food.