Singapore: Beaches on three islands closed after oil spill spreads to multiple shores

Singapore Singapore: Authorities announced on Sunday that beaches on three Singaporean islands will be closed until further notice after Friday’s oil spill spread to several coastlines, Channel News Asia (CNA) reports. Beaches on St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu islands will be closed after oil slicks were first spotted on the two islands. NParks staff, together with volunteers from Friends of Marine Park, visited St John’s and Lazarus islands on Sunday to observe and document the impact of the oil spill in these areas. The closure of beaches on the islands is in addition to areas B to H of East Coast Park, as well as the jetties and rocky coast of Labrador Nature Reserve, which have been closed since Saturday, CNA reports. However, oil sheen was observed in nearby waters.

Latest update Sunday evening by the Maritime and Port Authority Port Authority The statement was a joint statement issued by the National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks) and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC). Oil spilled onto some beaches in Singapore after the dredger Vox Maxima collided with the stationary bunker vessel Marine Honor at the Pasir Panjang terminal at about 2:20pm (local time) on Friday. This caused some oil from a cargo tank on the bunker vessel to spill into the water. The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) is working with British Marine, the insurer of the stationary tanker, to establish contacts for third-party claims by “affected parties”. In the joint statement, authorities said the dredger had reported a sudden loss of engine and steering control before it collided with the bunker vessel on Friday. This resulted in the vessel’s oil cargo tanks rupturing and the contents of low-sulphur fuel oil escaping into the sea.

MPA Patrol Boat Use Rigs Usage leakage The authority’s response contractor was deployed and they activated an oil skimmer to reduce the impact of the spill. The boat removes the oil from the surface of the water and moves it to storage tanks. Officials Officials “Booms were also placed around the ships as an additional precaution in case of any further leakage from the ship,” it said.

He further said, “Due to tidal currents, parts of the oil spill have fallen on southern coastlines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Island, Marina South Pier and East Coast Park.” The MPA is investigating and the ship owner and its crew are assisting in the investigation. Efforts are being made to remove the oil at sea. Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), the largest international industry-funded cooperative providing oil spill response services, is helping in the clean-up efforts. It will deploy two floating containment and recovery devices and consists of a skirt with a boom that extends below the water surface to collect and concentrate the oil on the water surface, CNA R As of 1.30pm on Sunday, no oil slick has been observed in the Singapore Strait’s Traffic Separation Scheme, and navigation is unaffected. Port operations remain normal. People have been advised to stay away from the affected beaches as clean-up operations are being carried out

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About 1,500 metres of containment booms have been deployed at various locations since Friday, including three beaches on Sentosa, the entrance to Keppel Marina, Labrador Nature Reserve, East Coast Park and West Coast Park, CNA reported. Another 1,600 metres of booms will be deployed in the next few days to prevent the oil from spreading further onshore. “For oil treated with dispersants, these may be suspended in the water and carried by tidal currents to coastal areas,” it said. More than 250 personnel, including more than 50 workers from OSRL, 50 NParks officials, cleaners and other officials, have been deployed to support clean-up efforts on the beach and shoreline. There have been more than 1,500 sign-ups from people willing to help. NParks said it would activate volunteers if additional help was needed, CNA reported.

“For their safety, volunteers will not be deployed for shoreline cleanup,” officials said. Some volunteers have been activated to monitor the situation at West Coast Park and alert authorities if there are signs of an oil spill. Officials have also called in officials to monitor the oil spill at the park.

No impact has been observed. Volunteers will also patrol beach areas at East Coast Park on Monday. These volunteers at both parks can help share information and report on affected wildlife and areas. (ANI)