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Singapore

Clean-up efforts expand with oil seen off Changi; booms in place to protect biodiversity-sensitive areas

Oil-absorbent booms have been deployed off biodiversity-sensitive areas at Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park as preventive measures. 

Clean-up efforts expand with oil seen off Changi; booms in place to protect biodiversity-sensitive areas

A drone-captured photo of vessels towing a Current Buster system to capture oil spill off Labrador Nature Reserve on Jun 17, 2024. (Photo: MPA)

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SINGAPORE: Clean-up efforts in the aftermath of the oil spill incident at Pasir Panjang Terminal are being expanded to cover more areas with the deployment of additional resources. 

The authorities said on Monday (Jun 17) that 1,600m of booms will be installed over the next few days at designated sites to support the containment of the oil and facilitate the restoration of the affected beaches and shorelines. 

This is on top of the 1,500m of container booms that have been put in place since the oil spill on Friday when a dredger hit a bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal.

Some of the oil has also been seen off Changi on Monday, read a joint media statement by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and national water agency PUB. 

Additional booms will be deployed as a preventive measure off Changi East, the authorities said.

Seven oil recovery assets were also sent out on Monday to skim and collect the remaining oil spillage off the water surface to minimise further spread.

BIODIVERSITY-SENSITIVE AREAS

Oil started washing up on Saturday along the coast of several beaches in Singapore, staining the sand black and sending the stench of petrochemicals into the air. 

Cleaning and containment efforts have been in full swing since then, with the authorities watching for any further spread. 

The joint statement said that oil-absorbent booms have been deployed off biodiversity-sensitive areas of Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park as preventive measures.

"Some of the oil has been seen off Changi Naval Base today. We are pre-emptively booming up Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, as well as bio-sensitive areas at Pasir Ris Park and Coney Island," wrote Minister for National Development Desmond Lee in a Facebook post on Monday. 

Workers setting up an oil boom during clean-up operations at Labrador Nature Reserve on Jun 15, 2024. (Photo: CNA reader)

While West Coast Park is not affected, oil-absorbent booms are already in place to protect the mangroves at the Marsh Garden, said the joint statement. 

Over the next few days, additional containment and absorbent booms will be set up to protect the fish farms at the East Johor Straits and also Chek Jawa Wetlands and Changi Creek.

A Current Buster system, a vessel-deployed specialised oil floating containment and recovery device, will be deployed on Tuesday off the Changi Exhibition Centre as a "pre-emptive measure". 

The Current Buster consists of a boom with a skirt that extends into the water to corral and collect the oil on the surface. It is capable of accumulating up to five tonnes of oil in one craft-load before discharging.

Meanwhile, the MPA and NEA have informed the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities of the situation.

"Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are part of the Revolving Fund Committee, where the three member states can request and provide support for oil spills and clean-up operations," the authorities said.

A drone-captured photo of vessels towing the Current Buster system to capture oil spill off Labrador Nature Reserve on Jun 17, 2024. (Photo: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore)

ADDITIONAL BOOMS

Booms have been installed at Sentosa's Palawan beach, with more to be fully deployed at the Siloso and Tanjong beaches by Tuesday. 

"These booms will be important to facilitate the clean-up operations upstream to prevent more oil from entering the beach lagoons and the accumulated oil from going back to sea and affecting downstream locations."

These are in addition to the booms that have already been partially deployed at Tanjong Beach and those that have been fully deployed at Sentosa Cove and ONE15 Marina Sentosa Cove.

In their update on the clean-up operations, the authorities said SDC has been "working closely" with oil spill response experts and contractors to assist in the cleaning and restoration of the water quality along the affected Sentosa beaches, as well as to protect the cove waterways

"Vacuum pumps have been deployed at Tanjong beach to remove surface oil while trained personnel with personal protective equipment are removing oil spills from the beaches.

"While the clean-up process is labour-intensive, there is a steady improvement in removal of oil slicks from the beaches," they added. 

Over at Labrador Nature Reserve, an oil slick has adhered to the rock bunds along the Promenade area, with an oil sheen observed in the surrounding waters.

The reserve will get additional booms by Tuesday to facilitate the cleaning of oil accumulated in the catchment areas. These are on top of those already in place to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore.

As of 6pm on Monday, "there are no signs of oil slick within Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, with oil sheen observed in the surrounding waters".

The Southern Islands will also have booms at selected locations at Cooper Channel.

The authorities noted that oil slicks continued to accumulate along East Coast Park. Oil-absorbent booms were set up at significantly impacted stretches of the beaches, with more at canal openings preventing oil from flowing back into the canal.

Clean-up operations along the beaches will be an ongoing process, they added. 

To facilitate efforts, the following beaches will be closed until further notice:

  • Beaches at East Coast Park (from Area B to H)
  • Labrador Nature Reserve (Jetty and Rocky Shore)
  • Sentosa beaches remain open to the public, but sea activities and swimming are not allowed at Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso beaches
  • Beaches at St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands

OIL RECOVERY VESSELS AND SYSTEMS

Oil Spill Response Limited, the largest international industry-funded cooperative providing oil spill response services, is supporting clean-up efforts.

It has deployed two Current Buster systems. One was sent off Labrador Nature Reserve to collect weathered oil while the other system was deployed off Bedok Jetty.

Two sets of skimmer-systems operated by T&T Salvage and Singapore Salvage Engineers have also been at work at Marina South Pier and off East Coast Lagoon.

The system includes craft-towed booms to corral the surface oil and a skimmer to lift oil off the water surface into storage tanks.

The Current Buster systems and skimmer craft are in addition to three vessel-towed collection booms systems deployed by Singapore Salvage Engineers.

More oil recovery vessels will be sent out over the next few days, the authorities said.

WATER SUPPLY, AIR QUALITY

PUB said that operations at Singapore’s desalination plants and freshwater reservoirs were unaffected.

“There is no impact to our freshwater reservoirs as the oil spill has been limited to our coastal areas and some coastal drains. These drains convey and discharge stormwater to the sea and are not linked to our reservoirs,” it said in a separate statement.

No oil was also detected near the seawater intake at Jurong Island Desalination Plant, which is closest to the oil spill location. 

The air quality at the affected areas also remained "well within safe levels", with NEA conducting daily air quality tests along Sentosa, East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve since Saturday. 

NEA also monitors the ambient levels of volatile organic compounds that are commonly associated with bunkering fuels and other petrochemicals, with no anomalies found across various locations in Singapore.

As a precaution, members of the public are advised against swimming at Changi Beach and engaging in other "primary contact water activities" until further notice, the authorities said.

"Such an advisory is already in place at Pasir Ris and Sembawang beaches at the start of this year due to elevated bacteria count at these beaches."

VOLUNTEERS TO HELP MONITOR SITUATION

NParks said that it has received an "overwhelming response" from members of the public and added that more volunteers will be activated if more help is needed.

"For their safety, volunteers will not be deployed for shoreline clean-up."

While impact from the oil spill at West Coast Park has not been observed, volunteers were deployed to monitor the situation for early alert.

"Volunteers and the Friends of East Coast Park community have also been activated today to patrol the beach areas at East Coast Park and advise members of the public to stay away from the beachfront," the authorities said.

"These volunteers at both parks will further assist with information sharing and reporting on affected wildlife and areas. Additionally, volunteers of the Public Hygiene Council were at East Coast Park this afternoon to help with litter-picking within the park area."

About 160 volunteers, including those who registered to help with the oil spill management efforts, volunteers of the Public Hygiene Council, and the Friends of Marine Park, have been deployed so far.

"While NParks will not be able to activate everyone who has signed up, due to the overwhelming response and the nature of the clean-up operations, NParks and agencies thank members of the public and nature groups for their prompt responses in caring for the parks and nature areas."

Source: CNA/nh(zl)
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