Debated in Parliament on 10 Sep 2012.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in respect of the Enhanced Air Quality Reporting for the pollutant standards index (PSI) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) (a) where are the monitoring stations in the town centres in each region and at what height are these stations situated; (b) how many roadside stations are there to measure kerbside pollution in view of vehicular emissions; (c) what are the justifications for the current reporting times of 8.00 am, 12 noon and 4.00 pm of each day and whether the Ministry will consider increasing the frequency of regular reporting; (d) whether the Ministry is studying more comprehensive Geographic Information System tracking of fine particulate pollution; (e) whether the Ministry will consider providing 24-hour forecasts of PSI and PM2.5 levels for public information; and (f) whether the report of the Advisory Committee on Ambient Air Quality will be made public.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) currently has a network of 11 air monitoring stations on the mainland of Singapore to measure ambient air quality and another two stations to measure roadside air quality. All the air monitoring stations are located at ground level except for the station at Newton which is located at the roof (above 25th Floor) of the Environment Building. The 11 air monitoring stations are operated in accordance with international guidelines. The locations of the air monitoring and roadside stations are indicated in the Table and Map below.
As the state of air quality has an impact on our health and quality of life, we recognise the need for the public to have more frequent updates on air quality. Since 24 August 2012, the PSI and PM2.5 readings of the five regions (North, South, East West, Central) have been reported on the NEA website at http//app2.nea.gov.sg/psi.aspx or "myENV" mobile application three times a day at 8.00 am, 12.00 noon and 4.00 pm to help the public better plan their activities for the day. Health advisories for the five regions will be issued whenever necessary. NEA will also increase the frequency of reporting on air quality to hourly ones in the event of significant transboundary haze.
NEA is currently in the process of enhancing its air quality monitoring network. The enhancement will include the development of predictive modelling capability for tracking air pollution plumes and the forecast of air quality. The enhancement will also build capabilities to provide more frequent updates on our air quality for public information. These enhancements will be introduced in stages over the next three years.
The executive summary of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Ambient Air Quality is available on the NEA website at http//app2.nea.gov.sg/topics_air.aspx.
PAPERCUTS