Tag: NEA

Zika Beware, WP Launches Operation Kaki Bukit!

Operation Kaki Bukit. 1 Sep 2016, 1930hrs.

More than 40 volunteers in six teams led by MPs Sylvia Lim, Png Eng Huat, Faisal Manap, Low Thia Khiang, Chen Show Mao and NCMP Daniel Goh knocked on doors to check on residents in 14 blocks of flats in the affected cluster in Bedok North Ave 3 and St 3. Too bad Pritam Singh, Dennis Tan and Leon Perera were overseas on work trips.

We advised residents about the symptoms and spread of the virus and collected information on vulnerable persons. We handed out flyers to inform everyone that Town Council would be conducting urgent floor-to-floor fogging of the common corridor and general area on Friday.

We gave out NEA brochures on Dengue and Zika and the 5-step Mozzie Wipeout. We didn’t have enough NEA brochures, so we made our own version to give out if we run out of the NEA version.

We could sense a strong collective spirit and appreciation of the combined efforts by government agencies, town councils, MPs, volunteers and grassroots. We will continue with the control measures and outreach efforts to fight Zika.

Source: Aljunied GRC

September 2, 2016
NEA: Licence Of Punggol Nasi Padang @ Century Square Suspended

The National Environment Agency (NEA) will be suspending the licence of food shop at 2 Tampines Central 5, #B1-22/23, Century Square, Singapore 529509 under the Points Demerit System. The period of suspension is two weeks from 12/06/2016 to 25/06/2016.

The licensee has accumulated 14 demerit points over the last 12 months and fined a total of $1000 for the following offences:

Depending on his past record, a licensee who accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have his licence suspended for a period of either two or four weeks, or revoked. All food handlers working in the suspended premises would also be required to attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course again, before they can resume work as food handlers.

NEA takes a serious view of these offences and would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times, and to engage only registered food handlers. NEA will not hesitate to take firm action against anyone found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health Act.

Source: www.nea.gov.sg and www.centurysquare.com.sg

June 12, 2016
Lee Bee Wah: Reward People Who Catch Litterbugs In Action

While the rest of the neighbourhood in Nee Soon South is sleeping, about 120 volunteers were out early on Sunday morning (Oct 11). Armed with litter pickers and gloves, they sorted the garbage into bags for rubbish and recyclables.

Headed by Nee Soon South MP Lee Bee Wah, the ward is the first in Singapore to do this on a monthly basis.

The programme – called HABIT @ Nee Soon South (Hold on And Bin IT, make it a HABIT!) – started about three years ago, and organisers said they have seen a gradual decrease in the amount of litter collected. Meanwhile, the number of residents volunteering has also increased.

National Environment Agency (NEA) said it wants to replicate the monthly scheme in other parts of Singapore. It said representatives from Jurong and Queenstown have expressed an interest, and have attended Nee Soon’s monthly litter picking programme to learn more.

However, Ms Lee said picking up litter is not enough. She is encouraging her residents to look out for those who litter habitually.

She also suggested to the authorities to reward people who catch litterbugs in action. For example, after a resident takes a video of someone littering, he submits the evidence to NEA, and he gets to earn half of the summons.

She said: “In Taiwan, every resident is an enforcement officer. They can video, they can take photo of the litterbug and submit to their NEA. And if there is successful prosecution, their NEA will give the resident who reported it half of the summons collected.

“My residents have given this suggestion and I thought it is a good one. So now I’m working with NEA, and we will try to pilot this in Nee Soon South in the near future.”

Channel NewsAsia understands there are challenges in its implementation, as the legislation needs to be amended.

Said NEA chairman Liak Teng Lit: “I think the Government needs to think through what are the things we need to do. If you look at the equivalent of what is happening on the road, many people today have their in-vehicle cameras and not many people dare to make funny claims about accidents because there is a risk that whatever you say could be contradicting what’s on the camera in someone else’s vehicles.

“So certainly having neighbours watching over the environment and watching over each other will be very helpful. For the good citizens, there is nothing to worry about. In fact, people will be filming you doing good things and praising you rather than reprimanding you.”

Ms Lee also launched a second recycling point in her ward, after a successful pilot. The scheme is being supported by the Tzu Chi Foundation.

Residents take their recyclables to the void deck at Block 873, Yishun Street 81. These items will be sorted, and taken to recycling centres.

She said this will educate residents on what can and cannot be recycled. This could prevent uninformed residents from contaminating recycling bins with waste.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

October 12, 2015
NTUC FairPrice Removes Asia Pulp & Paper Group Products

Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice announced on Wednesday (Oct 7) that it will withdraw all paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP), after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) said it has instituted a temporary restriction on the use of the “Singapore Green Label” certification for the Indonesian firm’s products.

In a press release, FairPrice said it carries 14 Housebrand products that are certified with the Singapore Green Label. Among them, two are Housebrand tissue products sourced from APP through a licensed distributor. In addition, all 16 APP-related products from various brands carried by the chain also have the Singapore Green Label certification, FairPrice said.

Products affected by the withdrawal include FairPrice Softpack Tissue 200s, and FairPrice Gold 3 Ply Facial Tissue 140s, supplied by APP. FairPrice will also withdraw all APP-related products, including those from Paseo, NICE and Jolly, by 5pm on Wednesday, it said.

NTUC FairPrice CEO Seah Kian Peng said: “We have been proactively monitoring the situation over the past week. We initiated meetings with the various parties concerned when the list of firms including APP, was named by the authorities as suspects for contributing to the haze.”

“As a fair business partner, we reserved taking action pending further information and investigation by the authorities. Our decision to withdraw all APP products is a result of the temporary restriction of their Green Label certification,” he added.

“NO SUPPLIER HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE INVOLVED”: APP

APP has said it has “nothing to hide” and “no supplier has been proven to be involved” in raging forest fires in Indonesia contributing to hazy conditions around the region.

In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday (Oct 7), APP – which is a member of Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Group and has an office in Singapore – said it received a notice from Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) on Sep 25 and had responded in accordance to their deadline.

NEA had issued the notice under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, seeking information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires in their concessions, as smoke from raging forest fires in Indonesia’s Sumatra and Kalimantan had pushed air quality to unhealthy levels in Singapore.

APP added that it has invited NEA officials to visit its operations in Indonesia to demonstrate the company’s no burning policy.

“If a supplier were found to have been involved in setting forest fires, our policy is clear and we would disengage that supplier. Thus far no supplier has been proven to be involved. It is premature therefore to make judgments until investigations by relevant authorities are completed,” the statement said.

In the statement, APP said its list of pulpwood suppliers is public, and the company submits concession maps to the Indonesian government and World Resources Institute (WRI).

“We continue to implement our Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) round the clock, as well as deploying 2,900 trained firefighters and fire suppression helicopters to help deal with this tragic situation,” APP said in the statement, adding that there are fires within their suppliers’ concessions, but not started by the company or its suppliers.

“The fire situation is complex and both the Singapore and Indonesia governments and authorities are still investigating the situation.”

APP products include Enlivo notebooks, Inspira paper and Paseo tissue paper.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

October 7, 2015
Disgusting Hygiene Conditions At Ang Mo Kio Giant Supermarket

I saw your story on how a rat at their premises was ignored by Giant supermarket staff at Yishun. I have encountered bad hygiene conditions such as centipedes, flies, bee, other insects found at the premises and spoilt food items being sold at Giant located at Ang Mo Kio and have been informing NEA on this matter for the past two years.

Initially NEA claimed that they are taking this matter seriously but for the past few months, NEA has refused to take my complains seriously and told me that I should speak to Giant’s management directly on my concerns. I have spoken to Giant’s management before but they don’t seem too bothered about the lack of hygiene as when I return back to the store, I always see the same issues. I even tried speaking to the senior management of NEA and writing in to REACH to find out why NEA is not taking actions but NEA just don’t not want to clarify this matter thus I wonder why is NEA only acting as a middle man passing my complains to Giant instead of ensuring that they investigate and make sure that the public’s health is not endangered.

Hazel
A.S.S. Contributor

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

September 22, 2015