Among others, it will see hefty fines for offences across the board, much heavier than those imposed under the current Environmental Quality Act 1974. Most of the pollution offences also come with up to five years in jail and additional fines on a daily basis. On May 2, Yeo Bee Yin said the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry was in the process of drafting the new legislation to replace the Environmental Quality Act 1974. Yeo said, among others, the drafting of the new legislation would look into the existing provisions for penalties and who could be brought to court for pollution offences. Like the current Environmental Quality Act, the director-general will be empowered to claim for the clean-up costs from those responsible for the pollution.

Source: The Star May 18, 2019 22:41 UTC