PSI expected to remain at very unhealthy levels as haze worsens

SINGAPORE — The haze that has been shrouding the Republic returned to very unhealthy levels yesterday as it continued to spread throughout the region from Sumatra, and this is expected to remain the case today (Sept 30), said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

As of 10pm yesterday, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was at 163 to 204 and the three-hour PSI was 151, an improvement from the high of 250 at 2pm. The one-hour PM2.5 concentration was 81 to 114 microgrammes per cubic metre.

A total of 49 hotspots were detected in Sumatra yesterday. The NEA said the low hotspot count was due to cloud cover over parts of the island.

While steering clear of hazardous levels, the air quality deteriorated enough for ferry services between Batam and Singapore to be cancelled from 7.40am, resuming from Singapore only from 4.50pm onwards, said Batam Fast Ferry.

Services will continue as usual today.

The 24-hour PSI today is expected to hit the high end of the unhealthy range and the low end of the very unhealthy range, according to the NEA.

Amid the continued hazy conditions, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) yesterday said it would reach out to the Singapore Manufacturing Federation’s (SMF) 2,800 members to urge stronger action on the part of companies, such as by procuring responsibly from sustainable sources.

For instance, major retailers such as supermarkets could sell palm oil products that are acquired sustainably. Said SEC executive director Edwin Seah at a media briefing: “We hope to work with key stakeholders, the Government and business federations for a sustainable solution. Ideally, we’d like to get all SMF members on board, and say that they procure paper and forestry, palm oil products only from sustainable sources … that will send a strong signal.”

Noting that just 10 per cent of palm oil products from Indonesia are certified to be sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, the SEC hopes to raise this figure to 75 per cent, by urging ethical procurement to put pressure on suppliers.

The SEC also sent a form to 17 companies to declare their commitment to choose sustainable sourcing, among them the Asia Pulp and Paper Company, which has been served a notice by the National Environment Agency requesting for documents and information.

Yesterday, Transient Workers Count Too renewed a call for the Government to impose a mandatory Stop Work Order when the three-hour PSI exceeds 200, or when PM2.5 readings exceed 50 micrograms per cubic metre, for workers who work outdoors or do strenuous in industries such as construction, marine, sanitation and landscaping, noting they do more physically strenuous work. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LAURA PHILOMIN