{"id":76644,"date":"2026-08-15T12:55:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T04:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=76644"},"modified":"2026-08-15T12:55:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T04:55:47","slug":"nea-aware-that-construction-waste-allegedly-from-singapore-disposed-of-in-pontian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=76644","title":{"rendered":"NEA aware that construction waste allegedly from Singapore disposed of in Pontian"},"content":{"rendered":"


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JOHOR BAHRU<\/span> \u2013 Singapore is aware of news stories that construction and demolition waste reportedly originating from Singapore was disposed of in Pontian, Johor.<\/p>\n

In response to queries from The Straits Times, Singapore\u2019s National Environment Agency (NEA) said it had\u00a0reached out to Malaysian authorities to establish the facts.<\/p>\n

This follows a news report by Malaysian media outlet Kosmo on Aug 8, which stated that\u00a0construction waste allegedly from Singapore was being transported and disposed of at several sites<\/span><\/a> in the district.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder Singapore\u2019s regulatory framework, the export of construction and demolition (C&D) waste that is hazardous for disposal is not permitted,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, homogeneous material streams recovered from C&D waste \u2013 such as ferrous scrap and hardcore concrete, tiles and bricks \u2013 are permitted for export under the Basel Convention.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the Basel Convention is an international treaty that sets rules for the movement of hazardous and other waste across borders.<\/p>\n

UNEP says the treaty \u201cobliges its Parties to ensure that such wastes are managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner\u201d.<\/p>\n

Singapore joined the Basel Convention in 1996 and enacted laws in 1998 to regulate the export, import, and transit of hazardous waste. Any person seeking to export, import or transit such waste must obtain a permit from NEA\u2019s Chemical Control and Management Department.<\/p>\n

Malaysia became a party to the convention in 1993 and prohibits the import of hazardous waste for recovery or final disposal, according to the Department of Environment website.<\/p>\n

Residents of some villages in Pontian told The Straits Times on Aug 13 that convoys of trucks would rumble through narrow gravel roads after midnight, dumping construction scrap that Johor officials believe is from Singapore.<\/p>\n

In response to the Kosmo report,\u00a0Johor state authorities shut down more than five sites in Pontian believed to have been used for illegal dumping operations.<\/p>\n

The state government also set up a task force and launched an investigation into three sites allegedly involved in the illegal use of construction waste for land reclamation work and dumping at an unlicensed site.<\/p>\n

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