The National Environment Agency (NEA) can now take to task companies that pollute the environment, under amendments to the Environmental Protection and Management Act passed in Parliament yesterday.
Speaking at the second reading of the Bill, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said a particular focus of the new law will be construction sites.
The NEA will be able to force firms working in them to stop work immediately, to cut down on excessive noise pollution.
The agency announced last year that construction work would be restricted during weekends, public holidays and on their eves starting from this September. Companies in such sites have been informed of the new requirement.
Companies can also be asked to remove equipment deemed to be contaminated by hazardous material.
For the first time, the NEA can also go after recalcitrant polluters to recover clean-up costs, for example, and prosecute officers in the companies involved who are thought to be culpable.
Previously, the company had to be convicted of an offence before individuals could be made liable. Dr Yaacob explained: ‘This is to prevent a director from avoiding prosecution by deregistering his company before the company is convicted.’
The sale of air-conditioners and refrigerators which are not energy-efficient will be banned from September.
Air-conditioners and refrigerators have been targeted under the rules as they take up around half of a typical household’s energy consumption. Switching from a one-tick air-conditioner model to a four-tick one, for example, can potentially save up to $350 in utility bills yearly.
The tick rating system launched in 2009 grades appliances according to their energy efficiency. The more ticks a gadget carries, the more energy-efficient it is, with four ticks being the maximum.
‘Over time, as more efficient models enter the market and costs come down further, we will consider gradually ratcheting up the standards,’ said Dr Yaacob.
