- Restaurants and beach venues close due to smell, fumes.
- Government warns of pollution along much of the southern coast.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) had notified agencies including the National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), and Sentosa Development Corporation, of an oil spill at the Pasir Panjang Terminal as a result of a vessel allision. The incident occurred on 14 June at about 2.20pm. MPA observed that oil had spilled from the damaged tank as a result of the allision and immediately activated response actions. MPA patrol craft were deployed to spray dispersants on the spill. MPA’s oil spill response contractor was also activated, and they mobilised oil booms, dispersants and oil skimmer to reduce the impact of the spill. MPA and its contractor also ran the oil spill prediction model and used drones and satellite imagery to assist with mitigation efforts, MPA said in a joint media release.
Singapore works to clean up oil slick after tanker accident
Oil spill from the vessel has been contained and there is no further leak from the vessel since last evening. The oil that escaped from the damaged tank had been treated by dispersants.
Due to the tidal current, the treated oil has landed along shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier, and East Coast Park. There are no signs of oil slick within Sister’s Islands Marine Park but oil sheen was observed in the surrounding waters. To facilitate clean-up efforts, the following beaches will be closed until further notice.
a) Beachfront at East Coast Park – From Area B to H, the rest of East Coast Park remains open
b) Labrador Nature Reserve – Jetty and Rocky Shore
c) Sentosa – Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso Beach remain open to the public, but sea activities and swimming are not allowed
Public are advised to keep away to facilitate the clean-up. F&B, tracks, fields, and cycling path remain open. NEA is also monitoring water quality at other beaches. 18 response craft have been deployed by MPA, PSA, Singapore Salvage Engineers, Tian San Shipping, and T&T Salvage to carry out the containment and clean-up efforts at sea. Close to 1500 meters of container booms have been deployed and more will be laid over the next few days to prevent further spread of oil onto the shore, and facilitate the recovery of the trapped oil off the affected shorelines and lagoons to prevent them from going back to sea.
NParks has also deployed oil absorbent booms to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve. While West Coast Park is not affected, oil absorbent booms have also been deployed at West Coast Park to protect the mangroves at the Marsh Garden.
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Source: MPA
