About the Project
Emissions from industries remain one of the sources of air pollution in Singapore. Industrial operations have variable process conditions which affect the characteristics and quantities of pollutants discharged into the environment. The National Environment Agency (NEA) set out a strategy of integrated urban and industrial planning to minimise air pollution and implementing regulations to ensure that air quality remains good.
The project entails the construction of a 4-storey factory and a 4-storey ancillary office building on an existing single-user general industrial development. Air quality monitoring and Environmental Information (EI) such as building height constraints, health and safety buffers, and other NEA requirements must be made available for their projects before their Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC) application.
Following concerns that the new buildings might obstruct Flue Gas Dispersion and cause building downwash effects, the client commissioned ESC to conduct an air quality monitoring and assessment. Concerns were also raised about the impact of emissions on the proposed building’s occupants.
Our Approach
ESC has developed an air quality assessment methodology to assess the potential building height constraint impact. The three-step approach involves monitoring, modelling and monitoring of local industrial source emissions with and without building downwash effects from the proposed development.
- Phase 1 – A baseline ambient air quality monitoring study using US EPA approved methodology;
- Phase 2 – An air dispersion modelling study of local industrial source emissions with and without building downwash effects from the proposed development;
- Phase 3 – An air quality confirmatory study involving air quality monitoring using USEPA approved methodology at the site, post-construction.
Outcome
ESC’s work enabled the client to monitor their air emissions and ensure that they met the prescribed air emission standards. Our air quality assessment report included the most latest PM10 monitoring results and assessed the need for mitigation measures if the ambient air quality monitoring revealed a flue gas impact. ESC also included its review comments in a final report for the client’s submission to NEA.
During the North-East Monsoon season, we continuously monitored air quality at various site locations and provided short-term averages for comparison with Singapore Ambient Air Quality targets. Through air monitoring programs ESC has helped industries address both their environmental and social responsibilities.