Singapore moves against Indonesian firms over haze

Yahoo – AFP, 26 Sep 2015

The Fullerton Hotel is blanketed in thick haze, in Singapore, on September 24,

2015 (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman)

Singapore (AFP) - Singapore has launched legal action that could lead to massive fines against Indonesian companies blamed for farm and plantation fires spewing unhealthy levels of air pollution over the city-state.

Five Indonesian companies including multinational Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) have been served with legal notices, according to a Singapore government statement issued late Friday.

The move followed a bitter diplomatic spat over Indonesia's failure to stop a severe outbreak of smoky haze which has also affected Malaysia and persisted for years.

APP, part of Indonesia's Sinar Mas conglomerate, is one of the world's largest pulp and paper groups and publicly upholds "sustainability" and forest conservation as core principles. Its products include stationery and toilet paper.

APP was asked by Singapore's National Environment Agency to supply information on its subsidiaries operating in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires in their concessions.

The group, which has paper mills in Indonesia and China, did not immediately reply when asked by AFP for comment.

Under a 2014 law called the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, Singapore can impose a fine of Sg$100,000 ($70,000) for each day that a local or foreign company contributes to unhealthy levels of haze pollution in Singapore, subject to a maximum total of Sg$2.0 million.

Singapore is located near Indonesia's vast Sumatra island, where fires have traditionally been set off by farmers and plantations to clear land for cultivation.

Four other Indonesian companies -- Rimba Hutani Mas, Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries, Bumi Sriwijaya Sentosa and Wachyuni Mandira -- have been told to take measures to extinguish fires on their land, refrain from starting new ones, and submit action plans to prevent future fires.

Sinar Mas is also involved in palm oil production, an industry widely blamed for forest fires in Indonesia.

In its statement issued Friday, the Singapore government said it was "examining how to apply more economic pressure against errant companies," including a review of its own procurement policies.

A soldier inspects a peatland forest on fire in Kampar district, Riau province, 
on Indonesia's Sumatra island, on August 7, 2015 (AFP Photo/Alfachrozie)

Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said the haze problem has lasted "for far too long".

"This is not a natural disaster. Haze is a man-made problem that should not be tolerated. It has caused major impact on the health, society and economy of our region," he said in the statement.

Singapore declared emergency shutdowns of elementary and high schools on Friday after the air pollutant index hit "hazardous" levels.

It eased to "moderate" levels on Saturday but a shift in wind direction can quickly change the situation.

The current haze outbreak is the worst since mid-2013. The recurring crisis grips Southeast Asia nearly every year during the dry season.

Singapore officials have reacted with outrage to Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla's comments that Indonesia's neighbours should be grateful for good air quality most of the year, and that Jakarta need not apologise for the crisis.

Indonesia has previously said that Singapore-based companies were among those responsible for the blazes.

About 3,000 troops and police have been sent to Sumatra to fight the fires, with Indonesian authorities saying last week that it would take a month to bring them under control.

Rotterdam to tackle air pollution, ban old cars from city centre

DutchNews.nl, November 28, 2014

Rotterdam council plans to improve the city’s air quality and has drawn up a €12m package of measures which locals will be asked to approve, Dutch media report on Friday.

The plans include getting rid of polluting cars and slashing pollution levels. In addition, the council’s own fleet of vehicles will be overhauled to reduce its pollution rate by 25%. 

The council is also considering financially rewarding owners to get rid of polluting cars. In addition it suggests that no more parking permits will be given for diesel vehicles built before 2005 and petrol-driver cars predating 1992.

More charging stations will be built for electric vehicles and there will be better bike facilities. 

The council also wants to ban lorries from the ‘s Gravendijkwal, currently the city’s most polluted road and a major highway that leads to the Maas tunnel. Transport organisations have already criticised the lorry ban proposal, saying it will force freight firms to use longer, more expansive routes, the Financieele Dagblad reported.

Research shows Rotterdammers live three years less than the average Dutch national, which is partly due to road pollution.

Utrecht and Amsterdam have already taken steps to reduce the number of polluting cars in their city centres.

Respiratory Illness and Flights Disruptions as Riau Haze Worsens

Jakarta Globe,  February 24, 2014

Riau residents evacuate on June 23, 2013 as a forest fire engulfs their village
in the Rokan Hulu district. (AFP Photo/Ulet Ifansasti/Greenpeace)

Jakarta. Some 20,000 people have reported respiratory illnesses in Riau as forest fires and the resulting haze continued to worsen on Monday, the local health agency reported.

“That is the data we’ve compiled from a number of districts and municipalities since late January to Sunday [Feb. 23],” Zainal Arifin, the head of the Riau Health Agency, said in Pekanbaru on Monday.

Last month, fewer than 5,000 people reported respiratory problems in Riau. Last week, however, the figure jumped to 15,000 before surpassing 20,000 on Sunday, the health authority reported.

“We’ve been focusing only on patients with respiratory problems because they are  the focus of the Ministry of Health,” he told Indonesian news portal Bisnis Indonesia.

Zainal urged people in Riau to minimize their time outdoors, citing the poor air quality, especially in the town of Dumai and in the Pelalawan and Siak districts.

“Toddlers and people with asthma should avoid outdoor activities,” he said. “Workers should wear masks in anticipation of respiratory illnesses.”

Officials with Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru said at least 12 flights were delayed, canceled or rerouted because the haze had reduced visibility in the province.

“Between 5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. [on Monday], the visibility was only 500 meters,” airport manager Baekuni said on Monday. “The minimum visibility for safe flights is at least 1,000 meters.”

Affected routes included those to and from Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Bandung, Batam, Jakarta and Medan, on flights operated by Aviastar, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Tigerair Mandala.

A Citilink flight from Jakarta, which was supposed to land at Pekanbaru airport at 7:20 a.m., was diverted to Batam.

Forests in Riau began burning again earlier this month, with officials blaming local farmers for using the slash-and-burn method to clear land.

On Monday, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said 1,398 hotspots were detected across Sumatra, with most of them concentrated in Riau.

Ahmad Agus Widodo, an analyst with the Pekanbaru office of the BMKG, said Bangka-Belitung and Lampung each reported one hotspot. South Sumatra reported two, Aceh five, Jambi 24, Riau Islands 43 and North Sumatra 85.

“Most hotspots were recorded in Riau province,” Ahmad told liputan6.com. “[NASA's] Terra and Aqua satellites detected 1,234 fire hotspots across eight districts and municipalities in Riau.”

He added the figure marked a significant rise from the roughly 80 hotspots detected in Riau on Sunday.

Ahmad said that with the wind blowing toward the south, haze was spreading to the neighboring provinces of Jambi and West Sumatra.

Related Article:

Riau is Burning… Again

Air Purifier Rush as Smog Shrouds Northern China

Jakarta Globe – AFP, February 24, 2014

China’s National Meteorological Centre has issued several “yellow” smog
alerts for much of the country’s north. (AFP Photo)

Dangerous smog which has blighted swathes of northern China in recent days has prompted a spike in air purifier sales, local media reported Monday, as pollution continued to shroud Beijing.

China’s National Meteorological Centre issued a “yellow” smog alert for much of the country’s north on Monday, the fifth consecutive day of heavy pollution which has slashed visibility and seen pollution reach hazardous levels.

The smog has prompted a rush by consumers to buy face masks and air purifiers, state-run China National Radio reported, with sales of the machines tripling in recent days at one Beijing electronics store, it said citing a store employee.

Beijing issued an “orange” pollution alert on Friday — the second-highest on the scale — leading to orders for manufacturing plants in the city to cut production, while building work has been halted and barbeques curbed.

Physical education classes and outdoor exercises at schools have also been called off, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Levels of small airborne particles which easily penetrate the lungs and are known as PM 2.5 have repeatedly reached more than 400 micrograms per cubic metre in recent days, according to a count by the US embassy in Beijing, more than 16 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safety guideline of 25 micrograms.

Cities across China have been hit by intense air pollution in recent years, much of it caused by emissions from coal-burning power stations.

China’s pollution problems are blamed on rapid urbanization, dramatic economic development, increasing car use and climatic factors. Pollution tends to worsen in winter.

Airborne particles have been linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, and the problem has emerged as a major source of discontent with China’s government.

The National Meteorological Centre has said the pollution is expected to continue until Thursday.

Agence France-Presse

Air pollution big issue for the Chinese Communist Party

Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-12-08

Tianjin shrouded in smog, Dec. 7. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Nanjing government issued a "red alert" — the most serious — for air pollution as smog continued to shroud eastern China for the fifth straight day.

In Shanghai, PM 2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, reached a staggering reading of 602.5. In the city's Lujiazui area, China's financial center, pedestrians covered their faces with thick masks.

Since skyrocketing economic growth usually ensures a fast track for promotion, Chinese officials have scrambled for heavy industrial projects that draw huge investment, and they often do so at the cost of the environment. President Xi Jinping promised to try and change the focus on GDP in selecting officials for promotion.

President Xi has called for comprehensive efforts to curb pollution, particularly in areas surrounding rivers and lakes as well as targeting major air-polluting industries.

Stressing that only "the strictest system and tightest law enforcement" can ensure the future of China's environment, Xi has urged that those behind irresponsible decision-making that leads to severe pollution should take responsibility for their actions.

The State Council, China's cabinet, outlined ten measures in June for curbing the air pollution that is plaguing the country, vowing that it would lay down "tough measures for a tough task."

Green innovation should be incorporated into any economic reform, the State Council announced.

The State Council promised to strictly control high energy-consuming and polluting industries, adjust energy infrastructure and control levels of PM 2.5 in populated regions and major cities.

It set a goal of reducing emissions of major air pollutants by industries by at least 30% by the end of 2017.

According to environmental protection officials, it used to be common practice to place pollution monitors strategically in places that would result in less serious readings, but this year these tactics are less common.

"Curbing air pollution is a complicated and systematic project that requires long-term effort," the cabinet noted in a statement.

Xiang Lili, a university professor in Nanjing, had to ask for leave to take care of her 4-year-old son on Friday when all the schools in the city closed because of the red alert.

"If the government cannot reverse the poor air quality, I will be really disillusioned about the future of our society," Xiang said.

Officials and activists say the state of the environment has become a thorny issue in relations between the Communist Party and the public.

"The heavy smog outside is a wake-up call for everybody," said Gao Wenxue, deputy director of the environment protection bureau in the city of Huai'an, Jiangsu Province.

"If we can't resolve the environmental problems, there will be a significant impact on relations between the party and the people, in terms of social stability," Gao said.

Social networking websites and applications meanwhile were awash with tips for living through the smog crisis.

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Shanghai air pollution hits 'most severe' level

Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-12-03

A pedestrian wears a face mask in Shanghai, Dec. 2. (Photo/Xinhua)

Smog shrouded the skyline of China's financial hub Shanghai as air pollution in the city hit its worst level on Monday.

Air quality in Shanghai was recorded at 303 on the official Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday morning, crossing the 300 threshold that indicates the most severe level of air pollution on the chart.

The AQI monitors six pollutants on an hourly basis, including PM2.5, or particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameters, which has been widely blamed for the worsening air pollution across China in recent years.

Shanghai's environmental watchdog listed PM2.5 as the major pollutant on Monday, without disclosing detailed readings.

The World Health Organization sets a daily guideline value for PM2.5 at 25 micrograms per cubic meter, while it has been around 10 times this volume in Shanghai in recent days.

Shanghai saw deteriorating air quality over the weekend. The AQI index rose above 230 on Sunday, when the city held its annual Shanghai International Marathon.

The PM2.5 reading also hit 248 micrograms per cubic meter on that day, according to the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau.

The marathon took place as usual despite the heavy pollution. Some participants wore masks.

The dangerous level of pollution has prompted Shanghai authorities to curb industrial production and activities at construction sites and docks that may add dust to the air. Citizens are advised to stay indoors.

Related Article:

Girl, 8, is China's youngest lung cancer case

Beijing air pollution soars to hazard level

BBC News, 12 January 2013

The air smells of coal dust and car fumes

Related Stories

• Toxic legacy of China's growth Watch
• Beijing gets more pollution data
• Cutting pollution 'helps hearts'

Air pollution in the Chinese capital Beijing has reached levels judged as hazardous to human health.

Readings from both official and unofficial monitoring stations suggested that Saturday's pollution has soared past danger levels outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The air tastes of coal dust and car fumes, two of the main sources of pollution, says a BBC correspondent.

Economic growth has left air quality in many cities notoriously poor.

A heavy smog has smothered Beijing for many days, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas, in the capital.

By Saturday afternoon it was so thick you could see just a few hundred metres in the city centre, our correspondent says, with tower blocks vanishing into the greyness.

Hazy view

Even indoors the air looked hazy, he says.

Some people are wearing masks

WHO guidelines say average concentrations of the tiniest pollution particles - called PM2.5 - should be no more than 25 microgrammes per cubic metre.

Air is unhealthy above 100 microgrammes. At 300, all children and elderly people should remain indoors.

Official Beijing city readings on Saturday suggested pollution levels over 400. Unofficial reading from a monitor at the US embassy recorded 800.

Once inhaled, the tiny particles can cause respiratory infections, as well as increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease.

Last year Chinese authorities warned the US embassy not to publish its data. But the embassy said the measurements were for the benefit of embassy personnel and were not citywide.

Related Article:

Severe Beijing smog prompts unusual transparency

China pollution anger spills into state media

Spike in Fires Triggers Ailments in Palembang

Jakarta Globe, October 02, 2011

Haze from forest fires blanket Palangkaraya, the capital city of Central
 Kalimanatan last week. Severe drought has increased the incidence of forest
 fires, which are generally blamed on farmers clearing forest land for plantations.
Indonesian and foreign partner governments are waging a campaign to conserve
one of world's richest forest ecosystem in Borneo. (AFP Photo)

Palembang. Some 17,000 residents of Palembang are suffering from respiratory problems following months of haze that have blanketed the region after the dry season’s widespread bush and forest fires.

Gema Asiani, the head of the city’s health office, said the health problems mostly consisted of cough, flu and breathing difficulties, including asthma.

Gema suggested residents use face masks when leaving their homes, saying they were effective in preventing the development of respiratory ailments.

The head of the city’s environment office, Kemas Abubakar, said air pollution in Palembang had been steadily rising in correlation with the increased number of fires in the region.

The use of fire in traditional land-clearing methods, including peatlands, releases enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and creates haze that blankets the area, which also travels into Malaysia and Singapore.

The practice is illegal but difficult to prevent in light of the vast area and limited available manpower.

The Straits Times reported on Friday that Singapore’s National Environment Agency warned the haze had returned and could linger throughout the weekend.

The NEA said the haze’s reappearance was largely because of a growing number of fires in Sumatra. The blazes increased from about 50 on Sunday to more than 300 on Wednesday, a two-week high.

The pollutant standards index, which measures air quality, spiked to 69 on Thursday evening. A pollutant rating of 100 is considered unhealthy.

50% of Jakarta’s Professionals May Be Literally Sick of Work Due to Air Quality

The Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, February 19, 2009 

Half of Jakarta’s office workers may suffer from “sick building syndrome,” or SBS, in which health problems are blamed on toxic substances inside buildings, according to the results of a study released on Wednesday. 

The study, conducted by the Association of Public Health Experts, or IAKMI, monitored.

400 people in 18 companies from July 2008 to January 2009. It found that half of all workers who spend at least eight hours a day in an office building have experienced acute discomfort, including headaches, respiratory problems, fatigue, dry cough and sore throats. 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, SBS is a situation “in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.” 

A 1984 World Health Organization Committee report said up to 30 percent of new buildings worldwide may be the subject of air-quality complaints, the EPA says. 

“Many people do not realize that staying in a building for a certain period will expose them to sick building syndrome, which poses potentially fatal risks in the long term,” said Budi Haryanto, head of environmental health studies for IAKMI. 

Budi said SBS was caused by flawed ventilation and air-conditioning systems that produce molds and fungus. Dirty indoor air can also be aggravated by photocopy machines, laser printers and other machines, as well as dirt in carpets, curtains and furniture. 

Budi said long-term exposure to pollutants could lead to cancer and heart disease, while less severe symptoms may result in difficulty concentrating, paranoia and even depression. “It may sound harmless but over the long term it can be fatal,” Budi said. 

Budi said that the problem was aggravated in Jakarta by outdoor air pollution.

Yogyakarta two degrees warmer, official says

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

The climate in Yogyakarta city has gradually increased over the past two years due to global warming, a government agency says.

Previously, the temperature in the city ranged between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius, but now swings between 35 and 37.8 degrees.

"The temperature rise in Yogyakarta is a current global phenomenon also happening elsewhere as the result of global warming," said Yogyakarta Meteorological and Geophysics Agency (BMG) Data and Information Division head Tyar Prasetya.

Prasetya added his office had detected a gradual rise in temperatures in the city over the past two years. The city recorded temperatures of between 33 to 34 degrees Celsius previously, but in November 2006 the highest temperature reached 37.8 degrees Celsius and in December of the same year it stood at 35.2 degrees Celsius.

He said the BMG recorded temperatures of 35.2 degrees Celsius in February and 35 degrees in October this year.

Prasetya said every party must pay special attention to reduce global warming so as to alleviate its negative impacts.

A number of Yogyakarta residents say they have noticed the change.

"Yogyakarta's climate is very hot now, especially when we go out in the daytime," said Amirudin, a father of two.

He said that the atmosphere around the Gadjah Mada University's roundabout, a popular meeting place, used to be cool in the afternoon.

"The climate along Jalan Kaliurang, which was cool previously due to its proximity to the mountain, is quite hot now, let alone the area around the university, which is closer to the coastal area," said Amirudin.

Yogyakarta Environmental Office's Waste Management Division head Peter Lawuasal said his office was conducting a study to determine the current trend in temperature rises.

The study is being conducted in 10 points in the city focusing on tests such as lead levels and ambient temperature.

"We are currently testing them in the laboratory," said Peter.

Peter added his office had previously conducted research on lead content in the blood levels of taxi drivers, bus conductors and pedicab drivers.

"Tests showed that the lead content exceeded the permitted level," said Peter.

He said the lead content in their blood indicates a high level of air pollution in the city.

The local municipality is carrying out a regreening program in an attempt to lower air pollution in the city. It has been using money from the provincial budget to procure idle land in the city for the past two years.

"We buy vacant plots of land and turn them into green areas or public parks," said Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto.

The tree replanting program is being carried out in conjunction with a campaign to plant trees along streets and in private gardens. The municipality will provide 31,000 tree seedlings by the end of the year and encourage residents to get involved in the program.