[h=2]Citizen complains to DPM Teo Chee Hean About Misgivings at NEA[/h]
From: Eddie tan <[email protected]>
Date: 24 October 2014 3:31:14 pm SGT
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Verbal Warning Not Justiciable
Dear Sir/Mdm,
The recent news that Taiwan had apprehended many crooked companies’ bosses who asked their workers to illegally dispose waste oil in the sea and in unauthorized places had inspired me to forward this mail for your Chambers’ perusal.
I am in the marine industry for almost 20 years and had seen all kinds of tricks and illegal ways oil related companies had used to illegally dispose off their waste oil to save up on their disposal costs.
In late April this year, when I was returning back to shore at Samulun area or Tanjong Kling Road where my office is situated, I noticed that the whole seafront was blacken with a layer of waste oil.
For my subsequent work days I still noticed the waste oil floating in the same area and to my curiosity I told my boatman to go near the shore to see where the waste oil was coming out from. I saw a 6″ hose coming out under the jetty of a oil recycle company, NSL Oilchem, and to my horror waste oil was flowing out of it into the sea !
Immediately the next day I called the National Environment Agency (NEA) to make a complaint of this illegal discharging of waste oil into our sea and was put to one Mr Poon.
I told him the whole story and Mr Poon said they will investigate on the company, NSL Oilchem.
After a few days Mr Poon called me and said that they had caught NSL Oilchem discharging their waste oil not once but twice in two weeks and thank me for my information.
Mr Poon then also told me that NSL Oilchem will be brought to Court by their legal council when I asked him whether illegal action will be taken against NSL Oilchem or just a word of warning.
I called Mr Poon to enquire about the Court’s proceeding and how severely was NSL Oilchem being punished for their deliberate discharging of waste oil into the sea.
Mr Poon told me in many occasions that NEA will definitely take action against NSL, but till today was action really taken against NSL Oilchem all remains mystery!
The Plant Manager, Ngiam Tee Leng, had been very arrogant and said to our circle of seafarers that he knew someone had been complaining about NSL Oilchem and he added, “..tell him don’t waste his time, YOU MUST KNOW WHO OWNS NSL OILCHEM”…! I thought this kind of things only happens to the 3rd world countries but how can this happened in Singapore ?
In other parts of the world if illegal dumpers were caught they will be immediately sent to prison!
So in short, is there a double standards of NEA’s regulations being practised by some individual in NEA?
I hope that my complaint will shade some lights of this illegal discharging of waste oil and the offenders must be severely punished to deter others from following their foot-steps.
Incidentally, NSL Oilchem had an explosion in the year 2007 that claimed an innocent life and just last year at Tanoto Shipyard an explosion also claimed 5 lives, so is NEA taking chances on their vigilance and leniency towards big and established companies..?
Waste oil if not properly manage is like a time bomb waiting to explode.
Thank You.
Yours faithfully,
Eddie Tan
From: Eddie tan <[email protected]>
Date: 24 October 2014 3:31:14 pm SGT
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Verbal Warning Not Justiciable
Dear Sir/Mdm,
The recent news that Taiwan had apprehended many crooked companies’ bosses who asked their workers to illegally dispose waste oil in the sea and in unauthorized places had inspired me to forward this mail for your Chambers’ perusal.
I am in the marine industry for almost 20 years and had seen all kinds of tricks and illegal ways oil related companies had used to illegally dispose off their waste oil to save up on their disposal costs.
In late April this year, when I was returning back to shore at Samulun area or Tanjong Kling Road where my office is situated, I noticed that the whole seafront was blacken with a layer of waste oil.
For my subsequent work days I still noticed the waste oil floating in the same area and to my curiosity I told my boatman to go near the shore to see where the waste oil was coming out from. I saw a 6″ hose coming out under the jetty of a oil recycle company, NSL Oilchem, and to my horror waste oil was flowing out of it into the sea !
Immediately the next day I called the National Environment Agency (NEA) to make a complaint of this illegal discharging of waste oil into our sea and was put to one Mr Poon.
I told him the whole story and Mr Poon said they will investigate on the company, NSL Oilchem.
After a few days Mr Poon called me and said that they had caught NSL Oilchem discharging their waste oil not once but twice in two weeks and thank me for my information.
Mr Poon then also told me that NSL Oilchem will be brought to Court by their legal council when I asked him whether illegal action will be taken against NSL Oilchem or just a word of warning.
I called Mr Poon to enquire about the Court’s proceeding and how severely was NSL Oilchem being punished for their deliberate discharging of waste oil into the sea.
Mr Poon told me in many occasions that NEA will definitely take action against NSL, but till today was action really taken against NSL Oilchem all remains mystery!
The Plant Manager, Ngiam Tee Leng, had been very arrogant and said to our circle of seafarers that he knew someone had been complaining about NSL Oilchem and he added, “..tell him don’t waste his time, YOU MUST KNOW WHO OWNS NSL OILCHEM”…! I thought this kind of things only happens to the 3rd world countries but how can this happened in Singapore ?
In other parts of the world if illegal dumpers were caught they will be immediately sent to prison!
So in short, is there a double standards of NEA’s regulations being practised by some individual in NEA?
I hope that my complaint will shade some lights of this illegal discharging of waste oil and the offenders must be severely punished to deter others from following their foot-steps.
Incidentally, NSL Oilchem had an explosion in the year 2007 that claimed an innocent life and just last year at Tanoto Shipyard an explosion also claimed 5 lives, so is NEA taking chances on their vigilance and leniency towards big and established companies..?
Waste oil if not properly manage is like a time bomb waiting to explode.
Thank You.
Yours faithfully,
Eddie Tan
