http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/2-men-fined-illegal-reselling-grease
Duo fined S$6,800 for illegally clearing hawker grease traps
Collected waste mixed with used oil and sold to firms who export it for
biodiesel processing
By Jean Khoo
Published: 10:41 PM, April 30, 2015 Updated: 4:10 AM, April 30, 2015
SINGAPORE — They appeared to be clearing the grease traps at hawker
centres of used cooking oil poured away by hawkers, but they in fact
were hoping to profiting from it — by selling it to companies that
export it for processing into biodiesel.
And this has landed the two men in trouble with the law. They have been
fined a total of S$6,800 for illegally collecting the waste, which can
only be collected by licensed general waste collectors.
One man was fined S$3,800 for illegally collecting waste from the grease
traps serving Bedok North Street 1 Hawker Centre and the eateries at
Yishun Street 81 and Lorong 4 Toa Payoh on four occasions between
September and October last year.
The second man was fined S$3,000 after committing the same act at Yishun
Street 81 and Upper Aljunied Lane on three occasions between October and
November last year.
Investigations by the National Environment Agency (NEA) revealed that
they had mixed the illegally collected greasy waste with used cooking
oil and sold to companies that export used cooking oil for processing
into biodiesel.
According to the NEA, 20 such cases were reported to the agency last
year, of which 15 were substantiated. This year, as of April 10, only
one case has been reported, and the agency has initiated legal action
against the offender.
Last year, after members of the public spotted people extracting oil
from drains near food outlets in Jurong for processing into biodiesel,
the NEA said there had been no previous incidents or person caught for
illegally clearing grease traps.
Licensed general waste collectors clean grease traps by using vacuum
trucks to collect the waste from the grease traps and disposing it at
PUB’s designated water reclamation plant. These greasy waste are then
digested with used water sludge to form biogas.
Alpha Biofuels, a company which makes biofuel from used cooking oil,
said that it is aware of such illegal practices, and has preventive
measures in place. It works with restaurants by providing containers to
be placed in the kitchen to collect waste oil. The containers of oil are
then collected by the company for processing.
The company also processes the oil in-house, so that contaminated oil
can be easily identified and thrown away before being conversion.
Other than investigating reports of the illegal collection of waste from
grease traps, the NEA said it also carries out checks at food stalls and
note the ingredients used, including cooking oil, are from licensed
sources. Actions will be taken against anyone who flouts the rules.
There have been no reported instances of food shops or food stalls using
cooking oil from illegal source so far, they added.
Hawkers TODAY spoke to say they have seen the grease being collected,
but it was difficult to tell whether it was being done illegally.
Said a 70-year-old from a food centre at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh: “They come
all the time, I think if I’m not wrong should be every once a month.
They would park the lorry at the side and pump the oil from the drain.
Very noisy.”
Another hawker, Wen Qiang, 48, said: “If I were to see them taking the
oil, I also won’t know that what they are doing is illegal. I will think
since they have the equipment to take the oil, then they must have the
license to do so. Or someone high up must have approved them to take it.”
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