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  Today Online 25 Aug 06
We're doing our best to keep S'pore beaches clean: NEA, MPA

Today Online 11 Aug 06
Trace source of pollution at ECP and bring culprits to book
Letter from Xiaoyi Kun

During a three-week stay in Singapore, I was a frequent visitor to East Coast Park. "Borrowing" a friend's dog, I tramped the beach from one end to the other on more than one occasion.

The enjoyment was marred only by the abundance of garbage and used lumber scattered all over, as well as the odd blob of oil and tar that the dog would take home on his fur.

The park cleaners are not to blame. Every day they were there carting it all away, and every day the sea would bring more.

The bulk of the garbage must be thrown overboard from ships. But I wonder where all the lumber (some with nails and a liberal smearing of oil) comes from. It combines with the other garbage left by inconsiderate weekend picnickers to make a very ugly mess that spoils a pleasant spot.

The mess is particularly bad at the stretch of beach by the golf course, where there was not one clean-up for the duration of my three weeks.

I'd like to suggest that:

• The authorities trace the garbage, scrap wood and oil to their sources and seek the cooperation of counterparts in neighbouring countries if necessary to bring the culprits to book;

• Weekend picnickers spend a few minutes cleaning up after themselves;

• The entity responsible for the stretch of beach near the golf course clean it occasionally; and

• Someone figure out a way to clear the sunken (often oil-covered) garbage that you will find under your feet if you take a few steps out into the sea at low tide.

Today Online 25 Aug 06
We're doing our best to keep S'pore beaches clean: NEA, MPA
Letter from S Satish Appoo Head, Environmental Health Department National Environment Agency (NEA) and Simon Ang Manager, Corporate Communications Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)

WE REFER to the letter "Trace Source of Pollutions and bring culprits to book" (Aug 11).

The NEA maintains the recreational beaches, such as the East Coast Park, on a daily basis. Beaches in other areas, like the stretch near the golf courses mentioned by Ms Kun, are cleaned regularly, though not on a daily basis.

During the South-West monsoon season between April and October, the tides wash a particularly large volume of flotsam--sometimes including large logs--onto our Southern coasts. During this period, the NEA's contractor will deploy more workers and machines to clean up the beaches.

The NEA also undertakes enforcement action against any litterbugs on the beach, with 45 people having been fined since January.

On the seaward side, the MPA safeguards Singapore's marine environment by preventing pollution from ships. Under the MPA's regulations, ships that call at our port are not allowed to dump oil, sewage or garbage in our waters. Those caught doing so are punishable under the law.

The MPA provides a daily garbage collection service, through a private operator, for ships in our port. The operator deploys four garbage collection craft to collect garbage from about 8,000 ships in the port each month.

It also deploys seven flotsam retrieval craft to collect flotsam from our port waters. The MPA's port inspectors patrol our waters daily to ensure compliance with our regulations.

Data from last year's International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), available at coastalcleanup.nus.edu.sg, indicates that 67 per cent of Singapore's debris is from places such as beaches, streets, parking lots and storm drains.

These originate from litter generated by land-based activities, including public events such as picnics, festivals and sports.

The NEA will continue to work with the organisers of ICC and other relevant agencies to keep Singapore beaches clean, as well as with event organisers to keep public events such as the recent National Day Parade litter-free.

Besides enforcement, we will also work with the community to get every individual's commitment for this endeavour.
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