Oil spill reaches Sentosa, East Coast Park and other areas; some beaches closed for clean-up

SINGAPORE: Oil has washed up along the coast of several beaches in Singapore, including those on Sentosa island and in East Coast Park, a day after a dredger hit a bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal. 

The beachfront at East Coast Park - from area B to H - will be closed until further notice to facilitate clean-up efforts, authorities said on Saturday evening (Jun 15).

The jetty and Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve will also be closed.

While Sentosa's beaches at Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong remain open to the public, swimming and sea activities are not allowed for the time being. 

The beach closures were announced in a joint media statement by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the National Environment Agency (NEA), the National Parks Board (NParks) and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).

"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," they said.

"There are no signs of oil slick within Sister’s Islands Marine Park but oil sheen was observed in the surrounding waters."

Members of the public are advised to stay away from the affected areas. 

The oil slick had spread from a spillage that occurred on Friday at Pasir Panjang Terminal, which is on the mainland several kilometres west of the resort island of Sentosa.

A Netherlands-flagged dredger hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel at about 2.20pm, causing some oil from the damaged cargo tank on board the vessel to spill into the water.

Eighteen response craft have been deployed to contain and clean up the spill, said the joint statement. 

"Close to 1,500 metres of containment 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," it added.

SDC said it was first alerted to instances of oil spillage in the waters around Palawan Beach at 9pm on Friday. At 7am on Saturday, the oil slick had spread to the other beaches, as well as to Sentosa Cove which is home to several condominiums.

A clean-up operation is underway, SDC said, adding that its priority was to minimise the impact on Sentosa's waters and surrounding wildlife.

Residents in Sentosa Cove have also volunteered to help with the clean-up operations, said SDC. 

When CNA visited Tanjong Beach at midday, workers were seen cleaning up the spill. A long, white oil boom, covered in oil, had been placed along the beach.

A visitor walking her dog earlier in the morning told CNA that the stench was "unbelievable", a sentiment echoed by another beachgoer in the afternoon.

"The first thing that I noticed was the smell; it smells like a petrol kiosk," said Mr Nigel Kong, 25.

"On a normal weekend, (one side of the beach) will be filled with volleyball courts and frisbee courts. Usually, when we’re hot, we go down to the waters. But with this oil spill, we can’t really do it."

BEACHES AT EAST COAST, LABRADOR NATURE RESERVE HIT

At East Coast Park, black residue was visible along the beach. There was a stench of oil in the air.

“It didn’t really hit until we came to the beach area. The smell is a bit disconcerting,” said Mr Sufian Ali, who was not aware of the oil spill before arriving at the park.

While the park was still relatively crowded with cyclists, joggers and beachgoers, there was still a handful of people in the water along some stretches of beach.

Particularly affected was the coastline along area C of the park, with large patches of oil collecting near the breakwaters.

A park visitor who only wanted to be known as Mr Woo said he told his two children to stay away from the water.

“It’s like being at the petrol station,” added his wife.

Oil was also seen in the water at Labrador Nature Reserve, with a boom stretched between the jetty and the coast to try and stop the spread of oil.

National Development Minister Desmond Lee advised members of the public to stay away as the fumes are strong.

"NParks colleagues are deploying booms to protect the rocky shores from more of the oil spill. We are keeping a close watch," he wrote on Facebook during a visit to Labrador Nature Reserve.

Mr Lee later visited West Coast Park where authorities are taking precautionary measures even though it has not been hit by the oil spill.

"Booms have been emplaced in the canals that feed the mangrove as a precautionary measure," he said.

Closer to Sentosa, the spillage appears to have affected Caribbean at Keppel Bay, a condominium near VivoCity mall on the mainland. 

An oil sheen was seen in a canal at the condominium, with a resident telling CNA the area smelled like petrol.

In a message to residents, the condominium management said "surfactant spraying in nearby waters this morning appears to have reduced the severity of the impact on our canals".

ANIMAL RESPONSE CENTRE

Local conservation group Marine Stewards told CNA that it has seen photos of dead fish, as well as otters covered in oil.

The affected marine wildlife appeared to be mainly around the Southern Islands, according to Marine Stewards founder Sue Ye, who added that it is too early to see the full extent of the damage.

She said one kingfisher had been rescued from Marina at Keppel Bay, while another was seen covered in oil at Lazarus Island.

An MPA-led Emergency Operation Centre has been set up with the key agencies represented to coordinate government efforts on the oil spill.

People who encounter any oil-slicked animal can contact the Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600.

According to the joint media statement, the oil spill from the vessel has been contained and there has been no further leak from the vessel since Friday evening.

"The oil that escaped from the damaged tank had been treated by dispersants," the agencies said.

"MPA and its contractor also ran the oil spill prediction model and used drones and satellite imagery to assist with mitigation efforts."

MPA said on Saturday afternoon that there is no impact on navigational traffic. "Berthing operations at Pasir Panjang Terminal remain unaffected," it added.

Additional reporting by Matthew Mohan and Syamil Sapari