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 deployed over the next few days at designated sites to support containment efforts.
This is on top of the 1,500m of container booms that have been put in place since the oil spill on Friday.
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 deployed on Monday to skim and collect the remaining oil spillage off the water surface to minimise further spread.
In a preventive move, oil absorbent booms have been deployed off the biodiversity-sensitive areas of Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park.
"While West Coast Park is not affected, oil absorbent booms have already been deployed at the park 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.
Workers in hazmat suits clearing oil slicks at Siloso Beach in Sentosa on Jun 17, 2024 after an oil spill. (Photo: Sentosa Development Corporation)
A worker cleaning up Sentosa's Tanjong Beach on Jun 15, 2024, after an oil slick spread from a spillage at Pasir Panjang Terminal the day before. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
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.
Labrador Nature Reserve will get additional booms by Tuesday to facilitate the cleaning of oil accumulated in the catchment areas. These are on top of the booms already in place to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore.
The Southern Islands will also have booms at selected locations at Cooper Channel.
"Oil slicks continue to accumulate along East Coast Park," the authorities said.
Significantly impacted stretches of East Coast Park beaches have received oil-absorbent booms, with more at canal openings to trap oil to prevent it from flowing back into the canal.
Clean-up operations along the beaches will be an ongoing process, they added.
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 collecting up to five tonnes of oil in one craft-load before discharging.
The authorities have also tapped the private sector to provide vessels for the clean-up efforts.
Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), 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.
A drone-captured photo of vessels towing the Current Buster system to capture oil spill off Labrador Nature Reserve on Jun 17, (Photo: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore)
Two sets of skimmer-systems operated by T&T Salvage and Singapore Salvage Engineers have also been deployed. The system includes craft-towed booms to corral the surface oil and a skimmer to lift oil off the water surface into storage tanks.
There is a skimmer system at Marina South Pier and another off East Coast Lagoon.
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 deployed over the next few days, the authorities said.
PUB said that operations at Singapore’s desalination plants and freshwater reservoirs are unaffected.
The air quality at the affected areas also remained "well within safe levels", with the 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."
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The authorities said on Monday (Jun 17) that 1,600m of booms will be deployed over the next few days at designated sites to support containment efforts.
This is on top of the 1,500m of container booms that have been put in place since the oil spill on Friday.
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 deployed on Monday to skim and collect the remaining oil spillage off the water surface to minimise further spread.
CONTAINMENT, ABSORBENT BOOMS
In a preventive move, oil absorbent booms have been deployed off the biodiversity-sensitive areas of Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park.
"While West Coast Park is not affected, oil absorbent booms have already been deployed at the park 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.
Workers in hazmat suits clearing oil slicks at Siloso Beach in Sentosa on Jun 17, 2024 after an oil spill. (Photo: Sentosa Development Corporation)
A worker cleaning up Sentosa's Tanjong Beach on Jun 15, 2024, after an oil slick spread from a spillage at Pasir Panjang Terminal the day before. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
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.
Labrador Nature Reserve will get additional booms by Tuesday to facilitate the cleaning of oil accumulated in the catchment areas. These are on top of the booms already in place to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore.
The Southern Islands will also have booms at selected locations at Cooper Channel.
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"Oil slicks continue to accumulate along East Coast Park," the authorities said.
Significantly impacted stretches of East Coast Park beaches have received oil-absorbent booms, with more at canal openings to trap oil to prevent it from flowing back into the canal.
Clean-up operations along the beaches will be an ongoing process, they added.
OIL RECOVERY VESSELS AND SYSTEMS
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 collecting up to five tonnes of oil in one craft-load before discharging.
The authorities have also tapped the private sector to provide vessels for the clean-up efforts.
Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), 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.
A drone-captured photo of vessels towing the Current Buster system to capture oil spill off Labrador Nature Reserve on Jun 17, (Photo: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore)
Two sets of skimmer-systems operated by T&T Salvage and Singapore Salvage Engineers have also been deployed. The system includes craft-towed booms to corral the surface oil and a skimmer to lift oil off the water surface into storage tanks.
There is a skimmer system at Marina South Pier and another off East Coast Lagoon.
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 deployed over the next few days, the authorities said.
WATER, AIR QUALITY
PUB said that operations at Singapore’s desalination plants and freshwater reservoirs are unaffected.
The air quality at the affected areas also remained "well within safe levels", with the 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."
Related:
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