Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on sand import regulations and environmental impact assessments
Oct 3, 2022
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for National Development
(a) whether the Government is exploring any toughening of sand import regulations; and
(b) whether the Government will consider requiring import permits for sand consignments to include environmental impact assessments (EIA) in line with Singapore industry norms.
Answer:
The import of sand for construction and reclamation purposes is done on a commercial basis. Importers are expected to abide by the laws and regulations of the source countries. These include sourcing from legally permissible areas, obtaining the proper export documentation and permits from the relevant authorities, as well as complying with local environmental regulations governing the proper extraction and transportation within source countries. Where applicable, our agencies will check that the necessary environmental related approvals from the source countries are in order, before contractors are allowed to commence sand imports.