NEA sends legal notices to 3 more companies in Indonesia over haze-causing fires

NEA sends legal notices to three more companies under Transboundary Haze Pollution Act

Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) has sent legal notices to three more companies in Indonesia whose land is believed to have hosted haze-causing fires.

This comes after seven companies were earlier sent the notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA), said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu in a media doorstop on Monday (19 Oct).

Land of 3 companies in Kalimantan also believed to have hosted haze-causing fires

According to the NEA, additional Preventive Measure Notices have been sent to the following companies:

1. PT Buana Megatama Jaya
2. PT Mananjung Hayak
3. PT Baratama Putra Perkasa

While the previous seven companies are believed to be responsible for fires in Sumatra, the above-mentioned three are located in Kalimantan.

There are indications that smoke from fires on lands held via concessions under these three companies could have moved to Singapore, NEA said.

Companies requested to put out haze-causing fires

The notices request the comapnies to:

• Deploy firefighters to extinguish or stop fires from spreading on their land
• Stop, or not start, any burning activities
• Submit to NEA action plans to extinguish fires and/or stop them from rekindling

“NEA remains committed to taking enforcement action against errant companies found responsible for causing transboundary haze in Singapore,” it said.

S’pore hasn’t heard from 7 companies previously served notices

On Monday, Ms Fu said Singapore is closely monitoring the actions of the seven companies that were previously sent the notices.

However, we have not heard from them so far, she added.

Nevertheless, Singapore will not hesitate to take further action under the THPA based on the information and evidence available, and will also supply the evidence collected to other agencies for their own investigations, she maintained.

Entities that fail to comply with notices may be fined

The THPA came into force in 2014 and allows legal action to be taken against companies responsible for causing or contributing to haze pollution in Singapore. This can be done even if the companies’ activities take place overseas.

According to the THPA, an entity can be fined up to S$100,000 for every day or part of a day that there is haze pollution in Singapore as a result of its conduct.

Entities that fail to comply with Preventive Measure Notices may be fined up to S$50,000 additionally for every day or part of a day that it fails to comply with the notice.

Also read: Indonesia drops 2.4 tonnes of dry ice from plane to battle haze in South Sumatra, claims improved local visibility

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Featured image adapted from gov.sg on Facebook and Wikimedia Commons.