Ways the public can help
- Spot oil-slicked animal? Contact the Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600 (24-hours).
- Report any sightings of oil spills and stains: go.gov.sg/oilsighting.
- Volunteer: https://form.gov.sg/666d61c6c3bdf6c7814908d2
What happened?
(from Maritime Port Authority press release and media reports)
(from Maritime Port Authority press release and media reports)
Dredger VOX MARINER had reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before its allision with bunker vessel MARINE HONOUR on 14 June 2024. A rupture of one of the MARINE HONOUR’s oil cargo tanks, and its contents of low-sulphur fuel oil were released to the sea.
Half – or 400 tonnes – of the bunker vessel’s fuel leaked into the sea instantly, while the other half was contained and the authority ensured there were no further leaks from the vessel. MPA patrol craft were immediately activated and deployed to spray dispersants on the spill. MPA’s oil spill response contractor was also activated, and they mobilised an oil skimmer to reduce the impact of the spill. Booms were also laid around the vessels thereafter as added precaution in case of further leaks from the vessel. Due to the tidal currents, parts of the oil spillage have landed along the southern shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier, and East Coast Park.
Animation of how the accident occurred. Thanks to Marine Stewards.
Animation of how the accident occurred. Thanks to Marine Stewards.
Map by Channel NewsAsia issued on 19 Jun 2024
Was amended to this on 19 Jun
Some thoughts about spread of the oil spill by Tony ODempsey
For daily updates on facebook, see this album on wildsingapore FB
The oil spill was discussed at length in Parliament on 2 Jul: CNA video of Chee Hong Tat, Grace Fu, Desmond Lee respond to MPs on ministerial statements on Pasir Panjang Terminal oil spill (60mins) and CNA video of ministerial statements.
PRESS RELEASES and MEDIA ARTICLES
4 crewmen on Dutch dredging boat that caused worst oil spill in Singapore in a decade charged
Shaffiq Alkhatib Straits Times 6 Nov 2024.
SINGAPORE – Four crew members on Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima allegedly failed to perform their duties properly on June 14, causing around 400 tonnes of fuel to be leaked into the sea after an accident.
The dredger struck stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal, which led to the worst oil spill here in a decade.
It spread to the coastlines of East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa, and even to the Johor coastline in Kota Tinggi.
Water activities at the affected beaches here were suspended as the areas were being cleaned.
The four Dutchmen – Merijn Heidema, 25; Martin Hans Sinke, 48; Richard Ouwehand, 49; and Eric Peijpers, 55 – were each handed a charge under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 on Nov 6.
On June 14, Vox Maxima suffered a sudden loss of engine and steering control before it hit Marine Honour.
At the time of the incident, Ouwehand was the master of Vox Maxima, while Sinke was the officer in charge of the navigational watch.
They are accused of failing to ensure that emergency steering was carried out when emergency power was supplied to the vessel’s steering gear pumps, resulting in the accident.
Heidema and Peijpers were then officers in charge of the engineering watch. The pair had allegedly failed to ensure that when the engine room was put in a standby condition, an adequate reserve of power was available for Vox Maxima’s steering gear.
The cases involving the four of them have been adjourned to Dec 4.
Government press releases
Focused Cleaning in Full Swing. Call for Volunteers for Next Phase
From Maritime Port Authority website 24 Jun 2024
The next phase of joint efforts on the focused cleaning of the difficult-to-reach areas on land and coastlines is in full swing using specialised equipment for the clean-up efforts.
Focused Cleaning in Full Swing
2. All the affected areas, including Sentosa Tanjong beach, have entered the second phase of the clean-up response, which focuses on difficult-to-clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters, and oil trapped deeper in the sand. The cleaning methods for the second phase are decided jointly by the oil spill consultants and cleaning contractors. These methods will be adapted and refined as required, as the shoreline features of affected areas may differ. For biodiversity-sensitive sites, to minimise impact, strategies such as allowing for natural flushing may be adopted.
3. Members of the public may notice a scaling down of general cleaning at the affected beaches, as more specialised teams are deployed to clean these difficult areas. General cleaning of the beaches may still be required, as oil remnants may continue to be washed ashore.
4. The washing of berths at Pasir Panjang Container Terminal is about 20% completed with the estimated completion date by end July 2024. Port operations are not affected during this clean-up effort.
Gradual Re-opening
5. We expect the clean-up to take around three months, though this will vary for each area. The cordoned-off areas of the beaches at Sentosa, along East Coast Park, and Southern Islands will progressively open for land-based activities [1]. We will test the water quality until it is back to normal and stable for a week, before resuming swimming and other primary contact sea activities.
6. Marina at Keppel Bay has re-opened since 28 June 2024 following the removal of the accumulated oil in the marina and after a joint assessment with ITOPF and the cleaning contractors. High pressure washing of the marinas and condos will continue to be carried out to remove the oil stains. Separately, ONEo 15 Marina Sentosa Cove has also re-opened access to the marina since 25 June 2024 as localised clean-up efforts progress.
Support for Businesses
7. On matters of claims, economic losses caused by the contamination can be submitted for claims assessment by British Marine, the insurer of MARINE HONOUR. A contact email to receive claims from affected parties has been set up and affected businesses can write to marinehonour@helmsmanlaw.com to enquire.
8. In accordance with international and local laws, the owner of the bunker vessel MARINE HONOUR is liable up to the limits prescribed in law for the damage. Claims exceeding the liability of the owner of MARINE HONOUR will be made against the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund 1992, which has a higher limit.
Support for Businesses
9. Agencies including the National Parks Board, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and Singapore Land Authority are closely monitoring the impact of the oil spill on affected businesses. The agencies are developing rental deferral measures to help affected businesses with their cash flow, on a case-by-case basis. SDC will also look to promote a return of footfall through marketing and social media support. As mentioned by the Ministry of Transport during last week’s joint press conference, the economic losses resulting from the oil spill can be assessed for claims.
Volunteers for the Final Phase of Clean-up Efforts
10. Many volunteers have stepped forward to offer their assistance in the clean-up operations. Volunteers have not been directly involved in the beach clean-up actions, due to the complexity of the tasks, and for their personal safety.
11. Volunteers may be mobilised in the final phase of the clean-up, after agencies assess that it is safe to do so. For the final phase, remnant oil deposits hardened and mixed with sand, in the form of tar balls, will need to be sieved and separated for removal. Partnering relevant agencies, the Public Hygiene Council will help to train, equip, and coordinate with volunteers for this effort. This would be a safe and meaningful way for Singaporeans to contribute to the re-opening of our beaches and waters.
12. Agencies will work with partners and community groups such as Stridy and International Coastal Cleanup Singapore on the recovery efforts, for example, for the coastal clean-ups and surveys.
Ambient Air Quality Safe, Water Supply Unaffected, Seafood Safe for Consumption
13. The air quality in affected areas at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa remains well within safe levels. Information on air quality at affected beaches is published on NEA’s website.
14. Singapore’s drinking water supply remains unaffected. There is no impact to operations at national water agency PUB’s desalination plants and reservoirs.
15. To date, our fish farms remain unaffected by the oil spill. As a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been taking seafood samples from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. SFA also continues to test imported fish. The test results indicate that our local and imported fish remain safe for consumption.
[1] The cordoned-off areas include the foreshore of the beaches where clean-up is on-going. When the clean-up is complete, the cordons will be removed. Unaffected areas of the beaches, especially towards the backshore, have remained open throughout this period.
Removal of Bulk Oil at Sea and Shore Near Completion. Next Phase Commences with More Specialised Clean Up of Trapped Oil
From Maritime Port Authority website 24 Jun 2024
The removal of bulk oil from the sea and beaches is nearly completed. There has been no observed oil slick along the East Coast and Changi since 18 June based on both satellite and drone images. The bulk of oil-soaked sand has been removed from most of the affected public beaches, with the exception of Tanjong and Palawan beach at Sentosa. To date, about 550 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and debris have been collected from all affected beaches.
2. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and private organisations have deployed over 700 personnel since 14 June for cleaning-up operations. Over 3,400 metres of boom have been laid, to help contain trapped oil from flowing back to sea, and to prevent oil remnants from being washed ashore and into our inland canals while beach clean-up operations are ongoing. As the tides may continue to sweep in more oil remnants, we will be vigilant and continue to monitor.
Clean-up Operations Transition into the Next Stage of Cleaning Rock Bunds
3. We are moving to the next phase of the clean-up response, which is focused on the more difficult clean-up of oil remnants trapped in areas such as coastal features, waterside infrastructures and rock bunds. These areas are not as easily accessible, and oil could be trapped in crevices and below beach surfaces that require significant effort to clean.
4. This new phase will involve specialised resources and equipment. This cleaning will be done carefully, considering the conditions at each site, such as wind, tide and currents, to minimise the oil on the rock bunds from re-polluting the coastline, beaches, and biodiversity-sensitive areas. We are working with the oil spill consultants to deploy the most effective methods for cleaning while minimising cleaning contamination to surrounding areas.
5. For the more heavily impacted areas, including Sentosa’s Tanjong and Palawan beaches, the specialised clean-up operations are expected to take around three months, based on our preliminary estimates.
6. For the more lightly impacted areas at Sentosa Siloso beach and certain stretches of East Coast Park, this clean-up is expected to be completed earlier. The rock bund cleaning at Siloso beach has commenced since 21 June and the Singapore Civil Defence Force has deployed a Rapid Response Fire Vessel at the affected area to support the cleaning operation. The rock bund cleaning at selected rock bunds at East Coast Park beaches will commence this week and we are working towards the progressive re-opening of certain stretches earlier as well. All the beaches on Sentosa remain open.
7. For biodiversity-sensitive sites, ongoing efforts are underway to monitor longer term impacts to biodiversity.
8. Even after a beach has been cleaned and re-opened, swimming and water activities can resume only after water quality has gone back to normal and is stable . The Government is also closely monitoring the impact of the oil spill on related businesses and affected residents as the situation continues to evolve.
9. Sentosa Cove is less severely affected, as lockgates were closed promptly, supplemented by absorbent booms since 15 June 2024. Currently, vessel movements within Sentosa Cove have been halted and these efforts have been made to minimise the impact on Cove waterways and canals within residential areas, while awaiting oil deposits on seaward rock bunds to be cleaned. Vessel movements would be allowed to resume when lockgates are safe to open.
Final Clean Up of Residual Oil in Areas Off Pasir Panjang Container Terminal
10. Cleaning of trapped oil remnants in the shoreline areas and waterside infrastructures off Pasir Panjang Container Terminal including PSA Terminal and Labrador Nature Reserve has been largely completed on 23 June. There are no observed residual oil floating off the shoreline and the stranded oil near the shore and port structure since this morning. The upstream cleaning of the oil spillage is important to help prevent further spread of floating oil to other downstream locations, including Sentosa.
11. Containment booms have been laid at the mouth of Keppel Marina to facilitate the clean-up efforts of the accumulated oil. A total of about 40 clean-up personnel and two skimmer systems to recover the accumulated oil have been deployed. Oil booms at the mouth of the three canals leading to the residential areas have been set up and cleaning works are ongoing to clear the oil gathered there.
Clear Patches of Waters off the Eastern Anchorages, Changi, and Pasir Ris
12. There have been no observed oil slicks at the Eastern Anchorages based on both satellite images and daily drone monitoring flights. Sporadic patches of oil sheens are observed but this thin layer of oil on the water surface are expected to dissipate through a natural process.
13. No oil has been observed at Changi and Pasir Ris Park beaches. NEA will continue to monitor the situation closely. As a precaution, members of the public are advised against swimming at Changi and affected beaches and engaging in other primary contact water activities until further notice.
14. The Current Buster systems are currently stationed off Changi and the east coast area and are ready to respond to any sightings of oil slicks in the area, with the support of the Police Coast Guard monitoring the area off Changi. The situation is dynamic, and it is possible for the oil spill to resurface at a later stage or flow to and affect other areas. We will continue to remain vigilant and monitor the situation.
No Significant Observations at Biodiversity-Sensitive Areas and Southern Islands
15. Even as the cleaning of the shoreline at Labrador Nature Reserve is largely completed, agencies are closely monitoring the area and oil-absorbent booms will continue to be deployed there as a precaution. As of 23 June, the beaches at St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu Islands remain cleared of oily sand. The beaches will be monitored for further signs of oil slicks. Containment booms have been laid across the entrance to Kusu Island, as an added preventative measure. The recovery of the accumulated oil around St John's Island and Lazarus Island is ongoing after the booms were deployed.
16. While no oil has been observed off West Coast Park, Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Pasir Ris Park and Coney Island Park, oil-absorbent booms have been deployed there as precautionary measures. Time will be needed to observe and understand the long-term effects of the oil spill on the biodiversity in those areas.
Galvanising Collective Action by the Community
17. Over 1,500 members of the public have come forward, indicating interest in helping with the oil spill management efforts. Over 2,000 more members of the public have also indicated interest in being updated on ongoing efforts and future volunteering opportunities.
18. Thus far, over 400 volunteers, including volunteers of the Public Hygiene Council, have helped to patrol East Coast Park and West Coast Park, advising members of the public to stay away from affected beachfronts, as well as reporting sightings of oil stains and of oil-slicked wildlife.
19. Volunteers from Friends of Marine Park and marine experts are carrying out surveys at St John’s Island and Lazarus Island, together with NParks staff, to monitor the impact of the oil spill on biodiversity on these offshore islands.
20. Agencies have consulted around 30 stakeholder groups, including nature groups, grassroots and Institutes of Higher Learning, to explore opportunities to involve them in assessing and managing the longer-term impact of the oil spill on our biodiversity.
Fish Safe to Consume. Ambient Air Quality Safe and Water Supply Unaffected
21. To date, our fish farms remain unaffected by the oil spill. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been taking fish samples twice daily from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. The test results continue to indicate that our local fish are safe for consumption. SFA has also been closely engaging the fish farmers to undertake precautionary measures to protect their farming areas. SFA has provided absorbent pads and canvas sheets to the fish farms, and assisted or advised them on the deployment of these items. SFA also continues to test imported seafood under its existing food safety system.
22. The air quality in affected areas at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa remains well within safe levels. NEA will continue to monitor the air quality at the affected areas daily to ensure the safety of the public and personnel involved in the clean-up operations. Information on air quality at affected beaches is published and updated daily on NEA’s website.
23. Singapore’s drinking water supply remains unaffected. There is no impact to operations at all our desalination plants and reservoirs. National water agency PUB’s water quality readings remain normal.
Impact on Businesses
24. Beachfront businesses are open for business except for those offering activities that take place at sea or on beaches which are currently closed. The Government is in touch with these businesses and is also closely monitoring the business impact.
25. British Marine, the insurer of the stationary tanker, MARINE HONOUR, has set up 3rd party claims contact to attend to affected parties who have been impacted. For claims related inquiries, please contact marinehonour@helmsmanlaw.com.
Transferring Remaining Oil from MARINE HONOUR
26. The damaged MARINE HONOUR which spilled the oil on 14 June is currently anchored off the western petroleum anchorage. The remaining fuel oil onboard from the ruptured cargo tank and its full contents onboard the vessel must be emptied before it can be towed into the shipyard for its repair. Aside the containment booms laid around the vessel, a 35-tonnes oil load Current Buster system is on station to respond to any potential leaks in the lightering process to transfer the MARINE HONOUR oil to another vessel.
27. The safe lightering of MARINE HONOUR is expected to take one to two weeks as care is needed to ensure the stability of the vessel throughout the process.
Regional cooperation
28. We have been in close contact with the relevant Malaysian authorities, which shared on 19 June 2024 that they have observed some oil slicks off Johor. We will continue to share relevant information to facilitate their efforts.
Making Progress on the Sea and Shore Clean-Up Operations
From Maritime Port Authority website 20 Jun 2024
The northern part of the Pasir Panjang Container Terminal (PPT) is cleared of oil slicks following the deployment of the Current Buster, an oil recovery and containment system, since 18 June. Thorough cleaning of the oil-stained Berth 36 near the allision area using high-pressure jets is on-going.
2. PPT was the location of the oil spillage following the 14 June allision between Netherlands-registered dredger VOX MAXIMA and stationary bunker tanker MARINE HONOUR. The deployment of the Current Buster at this upstream location is important to prevent surface oil from flowing westwards towards West Coast Park which is unaffected till date, and also eastward towards downstream locations, including Sentosa beaches, Sentosa Cove, Southern Islands, and Keppel Marina. The oil recovery operations at sea are guided by MPA’s and Meteorological Service’s predictive modelling of tidal and wind conditions, and drone & satellite imagery.
3. Three Current Buster systems have been deployed. Two systems capable of five tonnes of recovered oil per load are deployed off western affected areas at PPT and Sentosa. The other system capable of 35 tonnes load is deployed off eastern affected areas off East Coast and Changi East as a precaution to recover any oil and prevent further spread. Another 35 tonnes-load Current Buster system will be deployed shortly.
4. Total length of booms deployed since 14 June is 3400 meters. This is more than the approximate 3100 meters originally planned.
Progress of Shore Clean-Up Effort
5. Sentosa. The deployment of the containment booms off the three Sentosa beaches of Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches has been completed. These booms will help prevent additional oil from being washed ashore while the beach clean-up operations are ongoing. A large majority of Siloso beach has been cleared of oily sand. This will be followed by efforts to commence thorough cleaning of the oil-stained lagoon-facing rock bunds. The beach clean-up efforts at Palawan and Tanjong beaches are ongoing with the focused cleaning planned in the next phase after Siloso beach clean-up is completed. While the beaches remain open and island businesses are operating as per normal, sea activities and swimming are not permitted.
6. Labrador Nature Reserve and Cooper Channel. The recovery of the accumulated oil off Labrador Nature Reserve and Cooper Channel is ongoing after the booms were put in place on 18 June. These are on top of booms already deployed there to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve.
7. St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands. As at 5 pm yesterday, the beaches at St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu Islands have been cleared of oily sand. The beaches will be monitored for further signs of oil slicks.
8. East Coast Park, Tanah Merah and Labrador Nature Reserve. Clean-up efforts by National Environment Agency (NEA) are progressing well at East Coast Park. A large majority of oil deposits on the beach has been removed. Parts of Labrador Nature Reserve and the beach at Tanah Merah have been largely cleaned up. However, as the tides may continue to sweep in remnants of oil deposits, further clean-up efforts would likely be required.
9. Changi and Pasir Ris Park. As at 5 pm yesterday, no oil has been observed at Changi and Pasir Ris beaches. NEA will continue to monitor the situation closely.
10. As a precaution, members of the public are advised against swimming at the beaches and engaging in other primary contact water activities until further notice.
11. No oil has been observed off biodiversity-sensitive areas at Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park, and Pasir Ris Park. Absorbent booms will continue to be deployed there as preventive measures. No oil has been observed off West Coast Park and absorbent booms have been deployed as a precaution to protect the mangroves at the Marsh Garden.
12. There have not been any reports of oil slicks sighted off Changi since 18 June. Fish Safe to Consume. Ambient Air Quality Safe and Water Supply Unaffected
13. To date, none of our fish farms have been affected by the oil spill. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency has taken fish samples from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. The test results confirmed that our local fish are safe for consumption.
14. The air quality at affected areas at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa remains well within safe levels. NEA will continue to monitor the air quality at the affected areas daily to ensure the safety of the public and personnel involved in the clean-up operations. Information on air quality at affected beaches is published and updated daily on NEA’s website.
15. PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, would like to assure the public that Singapore’s drinking water supply remains unaffected. Drinking water quality readings remain normal and there is no impact to operations at all the desalination plants and reservoirs. Progress of Clean-Up Efforts at Marinas
16. Containment booms have been laid at the mouth of Keppel Marina to facilitate the clean-up efforts of the accumulated oil. A total of about 20 clean-up personnel and two skimmer systems to recover the accumulated oil have been deployed since 18 June.
17. One Degree 15 Marina has maintained restricted access to the Marina. Localised clean-up efforts continue.
Regional Cooperation 18. Singaporean authorities are in touch with their Malaysian counterparts to cooperate on efforts to address any further impact of the oil spill. Singapore, Malaysia, together with Indonesia, are part of the Revolving Fund Committee, where the three littoral states can request and provide support for oil spills and clean-up operations in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
Joint Oil Spill Clean-Up Operations Advance to Next Phase
from Maritime Port Authority website 17 Jun 2024
The next phase of the clean-up operations has commenced with the additional deployment of various booms and oil recovery systems. 1500 metres of booms have been deployed, and an additional 1600 metres will be deployed over the next few days in designated sites to support the containment of accumulated oil to facilitate the clean-up operation off the beaches and shorelines. Additional booms will also be deployed as a preventive measure off Changi East. Seven oil recovery assets have been deployed today to skim and collect the remaining oil spillage off the water surface to minimise further spread of the oil.
Deployment Of Additional Booms
2. The areas with the deployment of the additional booms in progress are as follows. These will be in addition to those already deployed at Keppel Marina, East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and West Coast Park.
a. Sentosa: The booms at Palawan beach have been installed, with the remaining booms to be fully deployed at Siloso beach and Tanjong beach by 18 June. 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 booms are in addition to those have already been partially deployed at Tanjong beach and those that have been fully deployed on 16 June at Sentosa Cove and Oneo15 Marina Sentosa Cove.
b. Labrador Nature Reserve: Additional booms will be deployed to facilitate cleaning of oil accumulated at the catchment areas. These will be deployed by 18 June. These are in additional to the booms already deployed there to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve.
c. Southern Islands: Booms will be deployed at selected location at Cooper Channel, Southern islands, to facilitate clean-up of the accumulated oil there.
3. Oil absorbent booms have been deployed along stretches of the East Coast Park beaches that are significantly impacted, and at the canal openings to trap oil to prevent them from flowing back into the canal. Oil slicks continue to accumulate along East Coast Park. The clean-up operations along the beaches will be an ongoing process.
4. Some of the oil has been seen off Changi today. 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. 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. Over the next few days, additional containment and absorbent booms will be deployed to protect the fish farms at the East Johor Straits and also Chek Jawa Wetlands and Changi Creek. A Current Buster system, a specialised oil floating containment and recovery device deployed from vessels will be deployed on 18 June off the Changi Exhibition Centre as a pre-emptive measure. Each system consists of a boom with a skirt that extends below the water surface to corral and collect the oil on the water surface.
5. PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency has updated that operations at Singapore’s desalination plants and freshwater reservoirs remain unaffected.
Deployment Of Oil Recovery Vessels and Systems at Sea
6. Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) has deployed two Current Buster systems. One of the Current Buster systems is deployed off Labrador Nature Reserve to collect the weathered oil1. The other system is deployed off Bedok Jetty. The Current Buster is capable of collecting up to five tonnes of oil in one craft-load before discharging.
7. Two sets of skimmer-systems operated by T&T Salvage and Singapore Salvage Engineers Pte Ltd have also been deployed. The system includes the craft-towed booms to corral the surface oil and a skimmer to skim and “lift” the oil off the water surface into storage tanks. A skimmer system is deployed at Marina South Pier while another is deployed off East Coast Lagoon.
8. The Current Buster systems and skimmer craft are in addition to three vessels-towed collection booms systems deployed by Singapore Salvage Engineers Pte Ltd. More Oil Recovery vessels will be deployed over the next few days.
Air Quality Remains Well Within Safe levels. Public Advised Against Swimming at Changi Beach
9. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been conducting daily air quality tests at affected areas along Sentosa, East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve since 15 June. This is to ensure the safety of the public and personnel involved in the clean-up operations. The daily test includes measuring levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene (BTX), that are commonly associated with bunkering fuels and other petrochemicals. Thus far, the air quality at the affected areas is well within safe levels. In addition, NEA monitors ambient levels of VOCs at various locations in Singapore and no anomalies have been detected.
10. 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. 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.
Progress of Clean-up Operations at the Beaches and Shorelines
11. Sentosa Beaches: Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) is 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.
12. Labrador Nature Reserve: Oil slick had adhered to the rock bunds along the Promenade area, with oil sheen observed in the surrounding waters. Oil slick is also observed along the Rocky Shore, while light oil sheen is observed at Berlayer Creek. The National Parks Board (NParks) has deployed oil absorbent booms to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve and will continue to monitor the situation.
13. Cleaning efforts at both East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve will continue to be carried out by NEA cleaners. As at 17 June 2024 at 6:00pm, there are no signs of oil slick within Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, with oil sheen observed in the surrounding waters.
14. To facilitate clean-up efforts, the following beaches will be closed until further notice.
a. Beaches at East Coast Park (from Area B to H)
b. Labrador Nature Reserve (Jetty and Rocky Shore)
c. Sentosa beaches remain open for public, but sea activities and swimming are not allowed at Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso Beach
d. Beaches at St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands
The public is advised to keep away from these areas to facilitate the clean-up operations.
15. All other areas at both East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve including F&B remain open.
Volunteers
16. NParks has received overwhelming response from members of the public to help out and will activate volunteers if more help is needed. For their safety, volunteers will not be deployed for shoreline clean-up. While oil spillage impact at West Coast Park has not been observed, volunteers were deployed to monitor the situation at the park 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. 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.
17. 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, were deployed thus 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.
Regional Cooperation
18. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has informed the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities. 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.
Footnote:
1 Weathered oil refers to oil that has undergone changes due to exposure to the environment over time, which affects its appearance and chemical composition
Joint Media Statement: Progress of Joint Oil Spill Clean-up Operations
Posted on Maritime Port Authority website 16 Jun 2024
Dredger VOX MARINER had reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before its allision with bunker vessel MARINE HONOUR on 14 June 2024. Investigations by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) are ongoing. The master of the vessel and its crew are currently assisting in investigations.
2. The allision caused a rupture of one of the MARINE HONOUR’s oil cargo tanks, and its contents of low-sulphur fuel oil were released to the sea. MPA patrol craft were immediately activated and deployed to spray dispersants on the spill. MPA’s oil spill response contractor was also activated, and they mobilised an oil skimmer to reduce the impact of the spill. Booms were also laid around the vessels thereafter as added precaution in case of further leaks from the vessel. Due to the tidal currents, parts of the oil spillage have landed along the southern shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier, and East Coast Park.
3. As at 16 June 2024 at 1:30 pm, there are no signs of oil slick within Sisters’ 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. Beaches at East Coast Park (from Area B to H)
b. Labrador Nature Reserve (Jetty and Rocky Shore)
c. Sentosa – Sentosa's beaches remain open for public, but sea activities and swimming are not allowed at Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso Beach
d. Beaches at St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands
4. The public is advised to keep away from these areas to facilitate the clean-up operations. All other areas at both East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve including F&B remain open.
5. National Parks Board (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.
6. Close to 1500 metres of containment booms have been progressively deployed since last Friday, at various locations including the three beaches at Sentosa, entrance of Keppel Marina, off Labrador Nature Reserve, East Coast Park and West Coast Park.
7. Another 1600 metres of booms will be laid over the next few days to prevent further spread of oil onto the shore. The booms are less effective when there are higher waves above 0.5 metres. Use of dispersants can help to break down the surface oil into droplets to enhance biodegradation. For treated oil with dispersants, these may be suspended in the water and be carried by tidal currents to coastlines.
8. Oil recovery efforts at sea are progressing. Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), the largest international industry-funded cooperative providing oil spill response services, is supporting the clean-up efforts. OSRL will deploy two Current Buster systems, which are floating containment and recovery devices deployed from a vessel. It consists of a boom with a skirt that extends below the water surface to corral and concentrate the oil on the water surface. OSRL’s capabilities will be in addition to two skimmer craft deployed. The skimmer craft is a specialised vessel equipped with skimming equipment to skim and “lift” the oil off the water surface into storage tanks.
9. As of 16 June 2024, at 1:30 pm, no oil slick has been reported in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait. Navigation traffic in the TSS remains unaffected. Port operations are unaffected.
10. Ashore, the National Environment Agency (NEA), NParks and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) have deployed a total of over 250 personnel, including more than 50 professional workers from OSRL, 50 NParks officers, cleaners and other officers to support the beach and shoreline clean-up efforts.
11. NParks has received overwhelming response from members of the public to help out with over 1,500 sign-ups as of this afternoon and will activate volunteers if more help is needed. For their safety, volunteers will not be deployed for shoreline clean-up.
12. While we have not observed oil spillage impact at West Coast Park, volunteers have also been deployed to monitor the situation at West Coast Park for early alert. Currently, volunteers have also been activated to patrol the beach areas at East Coast Park tomorrow and we advise members of the public to stay away from the affected oil spill sites. Volunteers at both parks can further assist with info sharing and reporting on affected wildlife and areas.
13. 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 thanks everyone for their prompt responses in caring for the parks and nature areas.
14. NParks staff, together with volunteers from Friends of Marine Park, visited St John’s and Lazarus Island this morning to observe and document the impact of the oil spill at these areas.
15. MPA is working with British Marine, the insurer of the stationary tanker, Marine Honour, to set up 3rd party claims contact to attend to affected parties who have been impacted. For claims related inquiries, please contact marinehonour@helmsmanlaw.com
16. Further details will be released when available. See Annex for image of Marine Honour on 14 June 2024.
Mainstream media articles
Safety lapses found on Dutch dredging boat involved in June oil spill in Singapore
Kok Yufeng Straits Times 6 Jul 2024
TLDR "MPA said the inspection, which ensures visiting foreign ships meet international standards on safety, security and marine pollution prevention, is separate from the investigations that are being conducted by the authorities into the June 14 incident.
“In addition to routine inspections, whenever there is a collision, allision or bunker spill, MPA will also do a PSC inspection. This is MPA’s current standard operating procedure,” the authority added.
According to a public database of PSC inspection results in the Asia-Pacific region, a total of 13 deficiencies were flagged during the June 15 inspection of Vox Maxima. Of these, three warranted the detention of the dredging vessel, which means they were serious enough to require fixing before the ship could be allowed to leave the port.
The three deficiencies were related to fire safety, lifeboats aboard the vessel, and the International Safety Management Code, which provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships."
Some enter sea at East Coast Park despite advisories after oil spill; doctors warn of health risks
Elise Wong Straits Times 6 Jul 2024
Oil booms around Coney Island, Chek Jawa removed; Changi beach reopens for water activities
Elaine Lee Straits Times 6 Jul 2024
SOPs, response times: S’pore’s efforts in dealing with oil spill scrutinised in the House
Kenneth Cheng Straits Times 4 Jul 2024
The oil spill was raised in Parliament on 2 Jul.
Sensitive habitats in Labrador, on Sentosa and Southern Islands affected by oil slicks: Desmond Lee Shabana Begum Straits Times 3 Jul 2024
Businesses affected by Singapore oil spill may get help with rent
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu acknowledged the frustration and inconvenience that affected businesses have experienced.
Channel NewsAsia 2 Jul 2024.
Marina at Keppel Bay reopens after two-week closure following oil spill
Elise Wong Straits Times 29 Jun 2024
ST Explains: Why does stationary vessel have to shoulder claims for recent oil spill?
Esther Loi Straits Times 30 Jun 2024
Special equipment deployed at East Coast Park for next phase of oil spill cleanup
Lee Li Ying Straits Times 28 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Seaside businesses dread 3-month closures, some struggling to stay afloat
One water sports company says it has already racked up a five-figure loss, and is hoping for government financial assistance.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 27 Jun 2024
ST Interactive Oil spill in Singapore: The day the sea turned black
Straits Times 25 Jun 2024
Timeline of Singapore's oil spill: When response teams mobilised, booms deployed
Firdaus Hamzah Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 2024
Action plan to protect and restore coastal habitats after oil spill in the works: Desmond Lee
Lee Li Ying Straits Times 24 Jun 2024
Removal of oil from seas, beaches nearly completed; cleanup of spill enters next phase
Lee Li Ying Straits Times 24 Jun 2024
Oil spill clean-up to take around 3 months before affected beaches progressively reopen: Grace Fu
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 2024
Booms around damaged vessel ‘preventive’, not meant to fence in spilt oil: Chee Hong Tat
Esther Looi Straits Times 24 Jun 2024
Government agencies have done well in oil spill clean-up, SOPs effective: Chee Hong Tat
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also addressed questions on why containment booms were not pre-emptively deployed at beaches.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 2024
Malaysia govt will consider demands of Johor fishermen affected by oil spill
Straits Times 23 Jun 2024
Oil spill clean-up: 'Good progress' at Sentosa beaches; more than 140,000kg of oil-soaked sand removed
The Siloso Beach shoreline is "largely cleaned now", says Sentosa.
Ng Hong Siang Channel NewsAsia 23 Jun 2024
Coral bleaching in S’pore’s shallow areas rises to 40%, scientists on alert for impacts from oil spill
Shabana Begum Straits Times 23 Jun 2024
S’pore oil spill: Poor weather delayed laying of booms around damaged ship, says contractor
Therese Soh Straits Times 22 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - Working in a thunderstorm at night, an oil spill recovery contractor required more than triple the time it would normally take to lay containment booms around a damaged vessel that was leaking oil into the sea. In all, it took around 10 hours or more from the time of the incident till laying that first line of defence was completed.
Laying the booms alone took three or four hours, where it would have taken one hour under better conditions, said Captain Anuj Sahai, managing director of T&T Salvage Asia.
His company was engaged by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) after the Netherlands-flagged Vox Maxima reportedly lost engine and steering control and hit Singapore-flagged bunker Marine Honour at 2.18pm on June 14. About 400 tonnes of oil from the vessel leaked into the sea.
Captain Sahai said he was alerted to the incident at around 3.30pm that day.
Within half an hour, his team began mobilising three or four truckloads of gear from its warehouse in Tuas for the operation, he said.
“There was a lot of equipment and gear going out of the yard. It took about three hours to put all the gear onto the trucks and send it across to the Marina South Pier, which took another hour,” said Captain Sahai.
The pier had the crane required to load the booms onto vessels that brought them to the affected site, he added.
“Once we were alongside the Marine Honour, it took about three or four hours to lay the booms because it was night-time and the weather was not so good,” he said.
The crew laid 200m of booms, with each 3m section weighing more than 100kg when inflated, around the vessel anchored at Pasir Panjang Western Anchorage.
The workers’ speed was impeded by strong winds and poor visibility in heavy rain, as they had to take precautions not to fall.
Under ideal weather conditions, deploying 200m of booms takes about an hour from the time the response vessel reaches an affected site until the booms are positioned and secured, Captain Sahai said. Stronger and sturdier booms take longer to deploy, and stronger currents can slow boats and delay the process.
They finished past midnight, although he said he does not know exactly when as he was not watching the time.
T&T also laid booms at sites in Keppel Marina and Sentosa Cove on June 15, as well as an additional layer of fence booms around the Marine Honour and a third line of curtain booms over the next few days.
On June 20, the authorities said that 3.4km of booms had been deployed since June 14 across affected sites to contain the spill. Besides T&T, other contractors were also engaged to deploy the booms.
MPA took reporters to observe workers from T&T lay an additional 200m of black curtain booms at Siloso Beach in Sentosa on June 21, to supplement the red fence booms installed earlier.
Types of containment booms
Containment booms are floating devices that create a barrier to limit the spread of oil on the water’s surface during a spillage, so that it can be removed by skimmer machines.
There are various kinds of booms. Fence booms are smaller and lighter, and faster to deploy, but are less effective at containing oil. They are effective as a first response to swiftly and immediately contain spills, but less effective in high tides or strong currents that can carry oil over booms.
Curtain booms take longer to lay as they are bigger and heavier, but are more effective at containing spills as they are taller and have a 1m underwater curtain to block oil from moving across. Deploying them takes double the manpower and time as they must be inflated, unlike fence booms which have foam inside, Captain Sahai said.
Absorbent booms, made from materials that absorb oil, are placed at the ends of lines of booms to plug gaps that oil can flow through.
How booms are deployed
Before getting to the job, workers are given a safety briefing by the team supervisor on board the T&T Salvage response vessel, said Captain Sahai.
Workers on the deck check the line of booms for damage as it is unreeled.
The booms are then placed in the water, and a smaller boat with around four workers tows one end of the line to position it. Both ends of the line are anchored to the seabed or fastened to a secure structure like a rock.
The booms are monitored round the clock by a maintenance team that repairs them immediately if damage is detected, Captain Sahai added.
Limitations of containment booms
Despite efforts to ringfence the Marine Honour and disperse the slick, the oil spill had spread by the next day to the coastlines of East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Keppel Bay, the Southern Islands and Sentosa, and the waters off Changi on June 17.
MPA set up containment booms in these areas and deployed equipment to skim oil off the water surface.
In a Facebook post on June 18, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said that booms may not completely prevent the oil spill from spreading as tidal currents and waves can carry the oil, which may go above or below the booms.
Another limitation of containment booms is that once they are installed in a specific area, their weight makes it difficult to relocate them to another site affected by the oil slick, even after the initial zone is cleaned up, said Captain Sahai.
Repairing snapped booms, treating oil-slicked sand: Oil spill clean-up efforts continue a week on
CNA observes how containment booms are laid and what it takes to treat the toxic oil-soaked sand collected from affected beaches.
Fabian Koh and Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 21 Jun 2024 (Original article has lots of photos)
SINGAPORE: A week after 400 tonnes of oil spilled into Singapore's waters, there is still work to be done to mop up - at sea and on land.
Containment booms off Sentosa have had to be repaired and reinforced after turbulent weather caused some of them to snap.
One clean-up company brought in additional manpower from abroad to beef up its operations. Plus, the toxic oil-soaked sand collected from the affected beaches has to be carefully processed at a treatment plant.
The spillage occurred on the afternoon of Jun 14 after a Netherlands-flagged dredger hit a stationary bunker vessel, causing oil from the latter's damaged cargo tank to spill into the water.
That evening, containment booms were deployed by T&T Salvage Asia to block off the entrances at the lagoons of Sentosa’s beaches.
Those red-coloured rigid booms which were first set up are easier and faster to deploy, the firm's managing director Captain Anuj Sahai explained on Friday (Jun 21). However, they are not as strong and effective as the more heavy-duty booms which have since been in place.
CNA observed a team from T&T Salvage Asia at work on Friday, laying a 200m-long black-coloured containment boom along the external coastline of Siloso Beach.
“It was bad weather, very strong thundery showers early in the morning. So one or two booms snapped, but it was immediately taken care of,” Capt Anuj said, noting that the larger boom was being deployed only as a precaution.
Some extent of damage such as wear-and-tear is natural and already factored in as considerations when deploying booms, he explained.
The new boom is made up of 3m-long segments that have to be completely inflated with air so it can float on the water. It is heavy and requires more manpower and coordination to deploy, said Capt Anuj.
“These are bigger booms. They are much more sturdy and stronger. They will last much longer. But takes also a little bit more time to deploy as well,” he added.
Each 3m segment weighs about 100kg when completely inflated. It is launched off a boat and towed into position by a smaller raft that can move faster and get closer to the shore.
T&T Salvage Asia has deployed about 85 people for its clean-up operation. About 20 of them were brought in from abroad “because this was a massive spill and there were so many locations to look at”, said Capt Anuj.
The crew members are from Singapore, the Philippines, India, Ecuador and Argentina, he said. Three teams work around the clock.
“Everybody has about 10 to 15 years of solid experience. They know exactly what needs to be done. They don't need to be taught,” said Capt Anuj, who has been in the oil spill response sector for about 20 years.
He added that physical fitness is a crucial aspect of the job, and that the risk of injury is very real.
In Singapore where the current and tides are strong, it can be difficult to maintain the boat's position during deployment operations, he noted.
Capt Anuj's firm is in charge of the stretch between Labrador Park and Sentosa Cove, along with islands further south like St John’s Island. It has laid out about 2.5km of booms so far.
“The effect of wind and weather is quite strong over here, especially when you're close to Sentosa. So we have to take a lot of precautions for that,” he said.
There are different considerations for each location. At Sentosa, for instance, the venue of the Wings of Time show was a factor.
“It has a lot of protruding structures (and) steel structures, so they might puncture these kinds of booms. So then we immediately have to go and then supplement with reinforcements,” explained Capt Anuj.
HOW OIL-SOAKED SAND IS TREATED
CNA was also invited to observe how oil-soaked sand collected from the beaches of East Coast Park and Sentosa is being treated.
After sand is bagged by cleaners at the beaches, it is transported to a treatment plant operated by Mencast Offshore and Marine at Penjuru Road in Jurong to be rid of oil.
Workers unload the oil-soaked sand at a sheltered solid waste storage area, which has a 300- to 400-tonne capacity.
Oil-soaked sand, soil and debris such as planks of wood, branches, plastic bottles and plastic bags from East Coast Park and Sentosa are unloaded there.
Ms Irni Masnita Mohamed Anis, the sales and business development manager at Mencast, said that since Tuesday, 10 trucks of waste have arrived at the facility - eight from East Coast Park and two from Sentosa - with about 140 tonnes of sand and debris brought in from both locations.
To protect themselves from the toxic fumes from the oil, workers wear heavy-duty gas respirator masks while removing the sand from plastic bags in the storage area.
An excavator then scoops up the sand and dumps it into a large machine called a crusher.
That is where the soil clumps will be crushed and then sieved to remove foreign materials like plastics. The sifted sand will then be brought to a heating drum via a conveyor belt. It will be heated at 550 to 600 degrees Celsius for about 30 to 45 minutes.
“Due to the heat, it removes the oil,” said Ms Irni.
Typically, unprocessed sand has about 2 to 5 per cent of oil, but the treated sand is tested to have just 0.1 per cent of oil content.
The facility has been treating the sand since Thursday, and so far, about 10 to 12 tonnes of sand has been treated.
The treated sand will then be assessed for future use such as fillers in sandbags, or potentially mixed in concrete.
“All these (recovery options) come with analysis and tests which have not been finalised yet,” said Ms Irni, adding that discussions will be held with the owners of the sand as to what they prefer to do with the waste.
She did not disclose how much the sand treatment would cost, but said that clients will be charged “market rates”.
The oil that is removed from the sand is also recycled and sold to Mencast’s clients as recovery oil, typically after it is reblended with Mencast’s current existing oil.
Asked why the option of disposing of the oil-soaked sand was not considered, Ms Irni said there could be harm to the environment if it were just disposed of carelessly.
“Anything that is contaminated with oil is toxic and needs to be treated in a proper manner,” she said.
ST Explains: What happens to oil-soaked sand after it is removed from S’pore’s coastline
Elise Wong Straits Times 22 Jun 2024 (Original article has photos of each step)
SINGAPORE – Oil-soaked sand removed from Singapore’s beaches following the June 14 oil spill is being treated and may be used to fill sandbags for flood control, said a representative from one of the several waste companies appointed to treat the oily sand.
Ms Irni Masnita Mohamed Anis, sales and business development manager at Mencast Offshore and Marine, said tests will be done on the treated sand to assess its safety, but the final decision on what the sand will be used for depends on its owner.
The sand treated by Mencast is from East Coast Park and Sentosa’s Siloso, Tanjong and Palawan beaches.
It is not clear what will happen to treated sand that does not pass inspections.
Ms Irni was speaking to The Straits Times on June 21, during a media visit facilitated by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to a treatment facility.
She said that the oil content in sand contaminated from the recent spill ranges from 2 to 5 per cent.
For the sand to be considered successfully treated, the oil content has to drop to about 0.1 per cent.
Treated sand, despite being safe to touch, may still appear to be stained black.
Ms Irni said it cannot be restored to its original white colouration.
So far, about 140 tonnes of oil-soaked sand have been collected by Mencast, she said.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in a Facebook post on June 20 that over 71,000kg of sand were scooped up from Sentosa’s beaches alone.
On June 14, the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal, which resulted in a 400-tonne oil spill that has since tarred the beaches of Singapore and Malaysia.
Treating oil-soaked sand
Intensive cleanup efforts have been under way, though eliminating all traces of the low-sulphur oil spilled may prove to be a long-term undertaking.
Despite a week of cleanup efforts, the foreshore in East Coast Park remains marred by streaks of oil on June 20.
To clean up a contaminated beach, workers don personal protective equipment, including safety boots, N95 masks and gloves, and work in pairs to shovel oil-soaked sand into black trash bags.
It is back-breaking work, with each person handling dozens of bags weighing approximately 4kg each, all under the hot sun.
To quicken the process, larger piles of sand are dug up using excavators, to be bagged later.
Once sufficient bags of oil-soaked sand have been collected, they are put into a wheel loader – a four-wheel machine designed for lifting – and then transferred into a skid tank.
The tank, which is attached to a hook lift truck, allows for waste to be transported to toxic industrial waste facilities such as Mencast.
Ms Irni said treatment efforts at the Mencast plant began on June 20.
The skid tanks were deployed to beaches on June 17, and have since been depositing the collected sand at the plant.
Oil-soaked sand, first bagged by NEA-appointed contractors at the various beaches, must be “unbagged” manually at the Mencast facility before the start of the treatment process.
Workers wearing gloves, goggles and work boots must physically cut through such bags to feed the contaminated sand through the facility’s treatment systems.
Large plastic and wood sediments are also removed during this process to be incinerated.
As at June 21, about 30 per cent of Mencast’s workforce comprising about 60 people have been allocated specifically to waste processing efforts following the oil spill.
Sand samples are also taken to the laboratory for contaminant testing to determine the required treatment temperature and duration.
The contaminated sand is then transferred to a shaker system, which filters out coarser debris such as rocks and plastic shards from the sand to be compressed.
This is so that the particles are the same size as the sand grains, to ensure that all the oil can be effectively vaporised during treatment.
The oil-soaked sand is then sent to be heat-treated.
To date, about 12 tonnes of contaminated sand have been processed through the facility’s anaerobic thermal desorption unit (ATDU).
Here, oil-soaked sand is heated in a rotating drum at approximately 600 deg C, turning contaminants such as oil into vapour after about 45 minutes.
The ATDU system can treat up to 60 tonnes of sand a day.
Treated sand is then stored and tested for further contaminants.
Mencast reports that for sand which has about 2 to 5 per cent oil content, the treatment will bring the oil content down to about 0.1 per cent.
It said the treated sand will be assessed for future potential use, such as for filling sandbags for flood control.
It is, however, dependent on “analysis and tests which have not been finalised yet”, in addition to discussions with owners of the sand as to what should be done with the treated sand, it added.
Oil retrieved from the shore may also be recycled and blended with Mencast’s existing resources as “recovery oil”, which is sold to oil traders.
Still, the treatment of oil-soaked sand is essential, regardless of its final outcome.
If disposed of without proper treatment, oil-soaked sand remains harmful to the environment.
“That’s why we are here.
“Anything that is contaminated (with oil) is toxic, and has to be treated in a proper manner,” Ms Irni said.
Malaysia’s Johor starts coastal cleanup following reported spread from Singapore oil spill
State officials say they have activated coastal patrols and are monitoring activities following news of oil pollution on local beaches.
Channel NewsAsia 21 Jun 2024
Cleanup under way at two Johor beaches blackened by Singapore oil spill
Sarah Koh Straits Times 21 Jun 2024
N95 masks, gloves, shovels: How beaches at East Coast Park are cleaned up after an oil spill
About 100 workers are deployed daily to East Coast Park to clean up beaches affected by the oil spill.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
TLDR: lots of photos with some details of how oiled sand is removed by hand and moved to lorries. When the lorry is filled with bags, it will be driven to a licensed toxic industrial waste company for proper treatment.
Oil spill clean-up: Singapore to seek compensation from owner of stationary ship that was hit by another vessel
After the clean-up operation, Singapore will seek compensation for the "cost of all measures taken to contain and clean up the spill", said the Maritime and Port Authority.
Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
TLDR: According to international law, the shipowner of Marine Honour is liable for costs incurred, and the shipowner has insurance coverage to meet the liability. "The spirit of the 'polluter pays' principle simplifies the claims process by having a clear party against which to pursue claims without potential complications of proving fault," said MPA. This includes expenses that Singapore government agencies are incurring such as clean-up costs at sea and on shore. British Marine, the insurer of Marine Honour, has set up a contact for third-party claims by those affected.
Oil spill: Several beaches, including East Coast Park and Sentosa's Siloso, mostly cleared of oil
"We have made progress in the clean-up, but it will still take some time before the oil will be completely removed," says Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
Rachel Chan Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Beaches at several southern islands, most of ECP and Tanah Merah cleared of oil
Ang Qing Straits Times 20 Jun 2024
Perimeters lined with tarps, water quality checks: Singapore fish farms take precautions against oil spill
Blue tarps line the perimeter of a two-hectare floating fish farm off Changi, as a precaution against the oil spill that has struck parts of Singapore’s coastline.
Fabian Koh Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
Oil spill: After 2 kingfishers die, race against time to clean beaches for nesting turtles
A pair of kingfishers rescued from the oil spill around Singapore's shores are still fighting for their lives.
Davina Tham Channel NewsAsia 19 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE: Clean-up crews mopping up the oil spill around Singapore's shores are racing against time to limit the impact on wildlife after rescue efforts failed for two oil-drenched kingfishers.
This is because the beach at East Coast Park is a nesting site for critically endangered hawksbill turtles and vulnerable coastal horseshoe crabs, said Mr Lester Tan, chair of Nature Society (Singapore)'s Marine Conservation Group.
A stretch of the beach at East Coast Park, from areas B to H, has been closed until further notice as crews work to recover the oil still trapped at the shoreline.
"If they can finish cleaning up that part before the nesting turtles come up on shore on the next spring tide, which is just a couple of days later, I think we're on the safe side," Mr Tan told CNA on Wednesday (Jun 19).
Otherwise, nesting turtles and crabs may have to pass through the oil slick to reach the beach, he said.
Spring tides are tides with the highest high tides and lowest low tides. They occur when there is a full moon or during a new moon, according to the National Environment Agency.
This month's full moon, known as a Strawberry Moon, is expected to rise around Jun 22 in Singapore.
Mr Stephen Beng, chair of the Friends of Marine Park community, said exposure to oil can impair the fitness and reproductive ability of sea turtles.
"As air breathers, sea turtles can ingest oil which blocks airways, fills stomachs, damages tissues and organs," he said.
"Oiled beaches can kill the eggs or cause developmental defects for hatchlings – it's also another obstacle for them in the gauntlet they must already go through at birth."
Oil contamination of wildlife habitats is critical during the nesting season for sea turtles on the eastern coast and Southern Islands, agreed Mr Oliver Chang, lecturer in veterinary technology at Temasek Polytechnic's School of Applied Science.
Aside from East Coast Park, beaches at St John's, Lazarus and Kusu islands have been closed since Jun 16 after oil slicks were seen at the first two islands.
Over at the Sisters' Islands, if there is any oil slick when the spring tide comes, then the oil may come into contact with corals there, said the Nature Society's Mr Tan.
Sisters' Islands Marine Park protects coral reefs and a coral nursery. As of the evening of Jun 17, there were no signs of oil slick in the park, with oil sheen seen in the surrounding waters.
The oil spill happened after a dredger hit a stationary bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal on Jun 14, damaging an oil cargo tank on the bunker vessel, which released about 400 metric tonnes of fuel into the sea.
Oil slicks have also been spotted at the beaches of Sentosa island, Labrador Nature Reserve and Marina South Pier. Some oil was also seen off the coast of Changi.
Close to 1,500m of containment booms have been deployed to contain further spread of the oil, with another 1,600m to be deployed over the coming days.
Mr Tan noted that dispersants were also sprayed on the oil spill after the two vessels hit. Dispersants contain some toxins but little is known about how they could affect wildlife and feeding grounds, he said.
Temasek Polytechnic's Mr Chang said that oil will disperse over time but its lingering presence can continue to impact marine ecosystem.
"Dispersed oil particles may settle on the seabed, potentially smothering sensitive habitats like coral reefs or seagrass beds. Certain oil compounds can persist for years, posing ongoing risks to wildlife through bioaccumulation in the food chain," he said.
TWO KINGFISHERS IN TREATMENT
At least four kingfishers have been retrieved so far from the oil spill in Singapore's waters.
The National Parks Board (NParks) and wildlife group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) were each treating two collared kingfishers.
Two of the birds – one with NParks and the other with ACRES – have died.
NParks group director Dr Anna Wong said its two kingfishers were treated at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation.
The birds were given fluids and pain relief, and their mouth, eyes and nasal areas were cleaned of oil. After reaching a stable state, they were hand fed and slowly washed with detergent and warm water.
"The survival rate for these birds is low even with prompt veterinary intervention due to stress and accidental ingestion of the oil which is toxic to them," she said.
ACRES co-CEO Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan said the group's first kingfisher was found on Jun 15 at Keppel on the mainland, and the second on Jun 17 at Lazarus Island.
They were retrieved by members of the public and then passed to ACRES.
The first kingfisher died within 36 hours of being found. A post-mortem found liver issues that could have been caused by toxins from oil ingestion, and signs of dehydration, said Mr Kalai.
He pegged the second kingfisher's chances of survival at about 30 per cent. The bird has been cleaned five times as of Wednesday afternoon to remove oil from its feathers and inside its mouth.
As this process causes birds stress that may become fatal, the cleaning is limited to about 15 minutes each time, said Mr Kalai.
But there is still a lot of oil on the kingfisher from Lazarus, and he expects the bird will need to be cleaned another four times.
MONTHS TO RETURN TO THE WILD
Mr Kalai also cautioned members of the public against attempting to clean oil-covered birds by themselves.
Cleaning is a difficult process as bird feathers are porous and oil can become embedded in feather follicles, he said.
The birds will be stressed and unable to regulate their body temperature as they are covered in oil. They are also likely to be dehydrated as they may have been stranded for several hours.
"If you just take the bird and just start washing off the oil, the bird is almost guaranteed to die," he said.
Even after the oil has been cleaned from the bird, it could be months before they are released back into the wild.
The feathers of aquatic birds like kingfishers have a natural oil coating that makes them waterproof. This allows them to fly even after diving into water, explained Mr Kalai.
But this waterproof coating gets washed off in the process of removing the fuel oil, and could take months to be restored.
Mr Kalai said birds rescued from glue traps represent "a similar type of nightmare", and that a previous rescue took up to 10 months to be released.
During those months, rescue and rehabilitation officers must not just care for the bird but also make sure it does not imprint onto humans, so that it can return to the wild, he added.
Nature Society's Mr Tan also spotted two oil-stained birds – a Pacific reef heron and a purple heron – around Marina East Drive in East Coast Park on the morning of Jun 16.
The birds could still fly, so it was difficult to get close to them and track them or help them, he said.
Asked whether there could be more wildlife affected by the oil spill than has been sighted or reported so far, Mr Tan said this could be the case.
But he did not expect more oil-slicked wildlife to be found. "Unfortunately, I think whichever (animals) were stained in the oil spill or probably drenched in the oil spill would have perished by now."
Temasek Polytechnic's Mr Chang said continuous monitoring was needed, with methods like regular aerial surveys of tagged seabird populations to assess their distribution and biological sampling of fish tissues and bird feathers to measure contamination levels.
Dr Wong said NParks will continue to closely track the immediate impact of the oil spill on Singapore's marine habitats, including corals and wildlife.
"Biodiversity surveys conducted by the scientists as well as volunteers from Friends of Marine Park at St John's Island and Lazarus Island on Jun 16 had indicated no significant impact on the marine biodiversity there," she said.
NParks will assess if habitat restoration efforts are needed, and also explore activating volunteers for post clean-up intertidal surveys, Dr Wong added.
She also advised those who encounter any oil-slicked animal to contact the Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600.
Oil spill incident: Time needed to assess full extent of environmental impact, says Desmond Lee
Elise Wong Straits Times 19 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE – The impact of the June 14 oil spill is wide-reaching and still unfolding, and time will be needed for the authorities to assess the full extent of its environmental impact, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
“We will then have to embark on recovery and restoration work,” he added.
Mr Lee was giving an update on the oil spill on June 19 at the launch of a conference on horseshoe crabs – marine creatures native to Singapore – hosted by the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) at Resorts World Convention Centre on Sentosa.
NSS partnered the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s horseshoe crab specialist group for the event.
Mr Lee’s update comes after The Straits Times reported on June 18 that four oil-coated collared kingfishers had been rescued following the oil spill, and two have died. Members of the public have also spotted other oil-covered animals along coastlines, including otters and monitor lizards.
The minister said government agencies in Singapore have responded quickly and have been working closely together to coordinate efforts to clean up and mitigate the immediate impact of the spill on the nation’s coastal and marine environment.
For instance, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore deployed its nearest patrol craft to the incident site within 11 minutes of being alerted, and sprayed dispersants on the spill after assessing the situation.
At the same time, non-governmental organisations such as the Singapore Veterinary Association, the Singapore Canoe Federation and the World Wide Fund for Nature (Singapore) have stepped up to offer help, Mr Lee said.
There has also been an outpouring of support from individuals, with more than 1,500 people signing up to volunteer to assist in the cleanup of the oil spill, he added.
In a Facebook post on June 16, he had urged individuals interested in helping with cleanup efforts to sign up via an online form.
“I am grateful for the strong support from the community,” he said. But he noted that, as the safety of the volunteers was paramount, they will not be deployed for beach cleanup.
“We understand that many want to pitch in and help... We may seek volunteers’ help to carry out post-impact habitat and biodiversity surveys, as well as habitat restoration efforts,” Mr Lee said.
On June 16, the National Parks Board coordinated a biodiversity survey with volunteers and the Friends of Marine Park – a volunteer network that includes marine scientists, boaters and ocean-dependent business owners – to assess the oil spill’s impact and monitor wildlife in need of rescue.
No significant wildlife casualties were observed in the oil-slicked areas of St John’s and Lazarus islands during the survey, but conservationists say they are on alert for longer-term ramifications for nature, as it could take time for the impact of oil spills to manifest.
Mr Lee said that an additional 160 volunteers have been activated to assist with patrols and monitoring efforts at East Coast Park and West Coast Park.
The oil spill on June 14 occurred after the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour.
The incident caused the damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour to leak low-sulphur fuel into the sea, resulting in oil slicks observed at coastlines, including Sentosa island, the Southern Islands and Changi.
Speaking to ST on the sidelines of the horseshoe crab conference, chair of the NSS’ marine conservation group Lester Tan said the spilled oil was a low-sulphur fuel that is more refined and less viscous than crude oil.
But it can still be detrimental to coastal and marine life, including two species of horseshoe crabs that are native to Singapore, he noted.
The mangrove and coastal horseshoe crabs are two of four species of horseshoe crabs globally.
By foraging on the seafloor for food, horseshoe crabs help to release nutrients in the sediment for other creatures. They also serve as a vital food source for migratory birds.
Mr Tan highlighted that the coastal horseshoe crab, which is an endangered species, has been spotted at intertidal areas in East Coast Park, one of the areas affected by the oil spill.
The mangrove horseshoe crab can be found in places such as the Kranji and Mandai mangroves and mudflats, which are currently oil-free.
Hence, the hope is that the oil-slicked beaches at East Coast can be cleared before this weekend, he added. “If the beach is not cleaned soon and the coastal horseshoe crab comes into contact with the oil, then it can be lethal and toxic,” Mr Tan said.
Apart from pollution, horseshoe crab populations around the world face other threats from human activity. A major driver of the decline of horseshoe crabs is the biomedical industry’s demand for their blue-tinged blood.
Horseshoe crab blood contains a clotting enzyme that is crucial for bacterial testing in drugs and medical devices. News site Politico reported in January 2021 that horseshoe crab blood was used in the testing of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.
According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, 718,809 horseshoe crabs were collected – to be harvested for their blood and released alive – along the United States’ Atlantic coast for biomedical purposes in 2021. About 15 per cent of the horseshoe crabs died during the process.
Researchers in Singapore are conducting research that could help in the conservation of the unique creatures, often referred to as living fossils, given their unchanged appearance over millions of years.
Mr Lee cited the work led by National University of Singapore scientists to develop a synthetic alternative, which is more stable and chemically consistent, to the clotting enzyme in horseshoe crabs’ blood.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Professor Ding Jeak Ling, the NUS professor co-leading the project, said that she expects approval for the synthetic compound to be used as a compendial test – a standard method of assessment – for bacterial endotoxins by the year end.
If successful, the compound would eliminate the necessity of harvesting horseshoe crabs’ blood. “The only thing now is that habitat needs to be improved,” she said.
The fifth International Workshop on the Science and Conservation of Horseshoe Crabs will conclude on June 23. Over the next few days, experts will delve into discussions on horseshoe crab biology, conservation and public education, alongside developing a conservation action plan for Asian horseshoe crabs.
CNA Explains: What we know about the Singapore oil spill that's affected Sentosa and other beaches
About 400 tonnes of fuel were released into the sea on Friday. An accident over two decades ago involved 7,000 tonnes - but that wasn't Singapore's largest oil spill ever.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 19 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE: An oil spill on Friday (June 14) has led to beaches around Singapore being closed. Clean-up efforts are still underway, with slicks also spreading to the Southern Islands tourist attractions and sighted as far east as the Changi area.
What happened?
The spill was sparked by Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima hitting Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal at about 2.20pm on Friday.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Vox Maxima reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before its allision with Marine Honour - referring to when a moving vessel hits a stationary object.
This ruptured one of Marine Honour’s oil cargo tanks, releasing about 400 tonnes of low-sulphur fuel into the sea.
The incident was not caused by port congestion, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat on Tuesday as he gave a brief timeline of events.
How widespread is the spill?
On Saturday, oil washed up along several beaches including at Sentosa island and East Coast Park, as well as the shoreline at Labrador Nature Reserve.
The next day, beaches at St John's, Lazarus and Kusu islands were closed. Oil slicks were also spotted at Marina South Pier.
On Monday, some oil was seen off the coast of Changi.
How does it compare to other oil spills in the past?
A 1999 Oil Spill Intelligence Report said the Singapore Strait was considered one of the world’s hot spots given its reputation as one of the busiest sea lanes globally.
The largest oil spill in Singapore happened in 1997, when two tankers collided about 5km south of a Singapore Port Limit. About 28,000 tonnes of oil were spilled - 70 times that of Friday's incident.
Emergency aid from the Japanese government was sought to help contain the spill, which damaged mangrove forests and coral reefs in the vicinity of Raffles Lighthouse.
Waters west of Singapore were covered with greasy patches, with oil also washing up on Pulau Sebarok and Pulau Hantu islands.
In 2000, about 7,000 tonnes of crude oil were spilled when a vessel ran aground just 8km from Sentosa. The oil washed up on the beaches of Sentosa, St John’s Island and Lazarus Island.
A decade later, a tanker collided with a bulk carrier about 13km from Changi’s shore, spilling about 2,500 tonnes of crude oil into the waters.
And 10 years ago, three separate ship allisions occurred in two months, spilling a total of 760 tonnes of fuel oil into Singapore's waters and polluting the beaches off Kusu and St John’s islands.
How is it being cleaned up?
On Saturday, 18 response craft were deployed to contain and clean up the spill.
About 100 workers were deployed the next day to help clean up Sentosa's beaches, with vacuum pumps also used to remove surface oil.
On Tuesday, authorities said close to 1,500m of containment booms have been deployed since Friday at Keppel Marina, East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve to prevent further spread of oil onto the shore.
Another 1,600m of these booms, which are temporary floating barriers, will be deployed over the next few days in areas such as Sentosa and the Southern Islands.
The booms will also help prevent the oil from going back out to sea.
Oil-absorbent booms have also been deployed off biodiversity-sensitive areas such as Pulau Ubin's Chek Jawa Wetlands, Coney Island Park, Pasir Ris Park and West Coast Park.
Over the next few days, more booms will be deployed to protect fish farms at the East Johor Straits and also Chek Jawa Wetlands and Changi Creek.
Other measures include a specialised oil floating containment and recovery device called a Current Buster, which has been deployed off Changi Exhibition Centre as a pre-emptive measure. Two such systems have also been deployed off Labrador Nature Reserve and Bedok Jetty.
Each Current Buster system consists of a floating barrier sitting on the water’s surface, with a submerged extension called a skirt that extends below the surface to corral and collect the oil.
Two sets of skimmer systems have also been deployed at Marina South Pier and off East Coast Lagoon. These include craft-towed booms to corral surface oil and a component to skim and “lift” oil off the water surface and into storage tanks.
MPA has also deployed drones to surveil affected areas.
What's the impact?
The Singapore Food Agency said on Monday that local fish remain safe to eat, and that there was a “low risk” of the oil spill spreading to farms.
National water agency PUB also said that Singapore’s water supply has not been affected.
But yacht companies and water sports businesses have told CNA that they had to put their tours and rentals on hold over the long weekend, racking up thousands in lost earnings.
MPA on Sunday said it was working with British Marine, the insurer of the stationary Marine Honour tanker, to set up a third-party claims contact for affected parties.
CNA has contacted MPA for more information.
Meanwhile, marine biologist Toh Tai Chong told CNA that organisms living on or near the water's surface such as sea birds, mangrove forests and corals could be smothered by the oil slick and end up ingesting chemicals.
Dr Toh, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and also co-founder of non-profit organisation Our Singapore Reefs, warned that the impact of the pollution could be felt for months to come.
For instance, with their movements restricted, birds cannot hunt for prey or evade predators well.
Various toxins from the oil can also impact the reproduction of corals.
If oil seeps into the soil at beaches, it will not be easy to eradicate, as was the case in the 2010 spill off Changi. Such oil can be ingested by organisms such as clams and worms, and in turn poison their predators.
“Nature will naturally recover ... Oil will disperse over time," said Dr Toh. "But it depends on how fast the response is, and the scale of the impact.”
He advised against fishing and foraging for marine wildlife in the medium-term.
“Try not to harvest (wildlife) and consume them in the coming three months, especially for filter feeders like clams," he said. "They tend to accumulate more of the toxins."
Booms, busters and dispersants: Here’s how an oil spill is cleaned up in S’pore waters
Esther Loi Straits Times 18 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE – Efforts to clean up the oil spill are still under way, after the authorities expanded containment efforts to more areas on June 17.
Caused by an incident where the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour on June 14, the spill has stained coastlines at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Keppel Bay, the Southern Islands and Sentosa.
Preventive measures have been set up off Changi East, as well as biodiversity-sensitive areas at the Chek Jawa Wetlands in Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park.
The Straits Times takes a closer look at the cleanup efforts.
Q: What happened in the immediate aftermath of the spill?
Following the incident between the vessels, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) “immediately deployed” its nearest patrol craft – assigned to patrol Singapore’s waters 24/7 – to the incident site, and sprayed dispersants on the spill after assessing the situation.
Dispersants are chemicals that break up oil into smaller droplets, which can be mixed with water.
Captain Chong Jia Chyuan, port master with MPA, said all its response crafts were activated to spray dispersants on the spill during the optimal “window of opportunity” for the oil to react with the dispersant. He did not specify how long the “window of opportunity” lasted.
He added that the authority also activated its oil spill response contractor to collect the oil at sea and set up booms around the two affected vessels. These booms refer to containment booms, which are floating devices that create a barrier to trap oil. Once oil is contained, oil skimmer machines help collect the oil from the water surface.
“Our first priority was to ensure the safety of the vessels and to immediately stop the oil from further leaking into the sea,” Capt Chong said. He said the crew immediately isolated the damaged tank on the Marine Honour by transferring the remaining oil from the damaged cargo tank to the vessel’s other tanks.
No more oil escaped into the sea on the evening of June 14, he noted.
The captain and crew are still on board the Vox Maxima to assist with MPA’s investigation.
The Vox Maxima has since been towed further away from the incident site to allow port operations to resume.
Q: What were the next steps in the cleanup efforts?
Following the initial containment strategy in the immediate vicinity of the two vessels, Capt Chong said more booms for coastal protection purposes were laid near the coastlines while equipment was used to collect oil trapped there, starting from June 15, the day after the incident.
Due to rapid tidal movements, MPA chose to collect oil in certain areas first before activating booms to contain them in areas with natural constrictions or catchment areas.
Capt Chong said he does not have a timeline on when MPA’s investigation into the incident will be completed, as it is subject to the complexity of the incident and cooperation from relevant parties, including the captain and crew on Vox Maxima.
In response to further improvements to MPA’s recovery efforts for future oil spill incidents, he declined to comment as the incident is still under investigation, so the authority will have to first understand the cause of the spill.
Q: What equipment is needed to contain the spread of the spill?
Containment booms are used to create a barrier to trap oil.
Skimmers are then used to lift the oil off the water surface – around the containment booms – into storage tanks.
Separately, absorbent booms are used in biodiversity-sensitive areas as they can contain and absorb oil.
The Current Buster system, towed by two vessels, goes to affected areas to collect contaminated seawater and sieves oil out through a pump for skimmers to collect. It can collect up to 50 cubic m of oil at a time.
Drones that can travel up to about 60m above sea level, with a battery life of 25 minutes each, are used to direct Current Buster systems to affected areas, as they can capture clearer aerial views of the water surface. This is because there is a lot of reflection on the water surface when observed from a vessel.
MPA will deploy booms totalling 3.1km in length, three skimmers, three Current Buster systems, three drones and 18 oil spill response craft over the next few days.
Capt Chong could not provide the exact amount spent on cleanup efforts so far, as many agencies are involved in the operation and more time is needed to work out the figures for the manpower, logistics and craft involved.
Q: Why did the oil spill continue to spread, despite MPA’s quick response to the incident?
The authority said tidal movements were one of the reasons for the spread, as parts of the spill were carried onto the shore with the receding movement of the tides and out to sea.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on June 18 that booms may not completely prevent the spill from spreading, as some of it could be carried by tidal currents and waves, which may go above or below the booms.
A major oil spill incident in 1997, involving the collision of two oil tankers, led to a spill of 29,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, about 72 times the amount of oil leaked in the current incident.
However, the leak of the damaged cargo tank in 2024 led to a spill of low-sulphur fuel oil, which is less viscous or less resistant to movement compared with heavy fuel oil, which may explain the widespread movement of the oil spill this time.
Additionally, cleanup operations are more effective in the day when drones can be used to spot the spills, although MPA is still carrying out night operations.
When asked if MPA’s equipment quantity met international standards, Capt Chong said the authority does risk assessments to understand scenarios requiring the use of various equipment.
He noted that MPA has a salvage company – to provide solutions for damaged vessels – that provides standby resources to attend to different kinds of spills.
Capt Chong added that MPA will do regular review exercises to determine if its equipment is sufficient.
Tidal currents pose challenge to oil spill clean-up operations; drones, satellite imagery deployed to aid effort: MPA
The two vessels involved in the Jun 14 incident that led to the oil spill currently remain anchored in the Western Anchorage amid ongoing investigations.
Fabian Koh Channel NewsAsia 18 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE: Tackling the oil spill that has struck several parts of Singapore’s coastline has been a challenge due to the ever-changing tides, said a senior executive at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
The spillage had occurred on the afternoon of Jun 14 at Pasir Panjang Terminal, after Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, causing oil from the latter’s damaged cargo tank to spill into the water.
Speaking to the media during a visit to observe the agency’s clean-up efforts on Tuesday (Jun 18), Captain Chong Jia Chyuan, port master of MPA, said that following the incident, MPA immediately deployed its patrol craft to spray dispersants on the oil spill at the scene.
“Due to the current tides, some oil has landed on the southern coast of Singapore. Some of the challenges that we face is that the oil on sea is very mobile, it keeps moving due to the change of tidal currents,” he explained.
“The deployment of assets to collect this oil is a challenge. Hence, we use technologies such as drones and satellite images to keep track of the latest pictures of the movements of the oil.”
MPA had activated its oil spill response contractors in the aftermath, to collect the oil that had leaked out, and also deployed booms around the two vessels, said Capt Chong.
The two vessels currently remain anchored in the Western Anchorage amid ongoing investigations. The front of the Vox Maxima’s hull was observed to be black on Tuesday, coated in fuel oil from the Marine Honour, which has a gaping hole in its side from which 400 metric tonnes of fuel leaked into the sea.
[To this question on Minister Chee Hong Tat facebook post on 18 Jun: "which still had 400 metric tonnes of fuel oil in its tank" - so 400 metric tonnes left inside or 400 metric tonnes as per the other CNA article? "the Marine Honour, which has a gaping hole in its side from which 400 metric tonnes of fuel leaked into the sea".
Capt Chong said the immediate priority after the incident was to ensure that there were no further leaks into the sea from the damaged vessels, something which was achieved by Friday evening.
NEW ASSETS DEPLOYED
The MPA’s current arsenal of oil response assets deployed also includes Current Busters.
A Current Buster is a system that is designed to collect oil on the surface of the water. Towed by two vessels, it sweeps the water's surface, funneling the oil towards an area where it is contained.
“Each collection is about five tonnes, before the oil can be removed,” explained Capt Chong.
“This is an ongoing effort to ensure that the sea is clean, and also to support agencies’ shoreline cleaning efforts. Currently, we have about three current busters deployed to clean up the coastal waters.”
Three skimmers are also being used in catchment zones where the oil naturally accumulates. Half-floating on the water’s surface, skimmers lift the oil off the water surface into storage tanks, ensuring that it does not also collect too much sea water in the process.
To identify the ever-shifting oil slicks due to the changing tidal currents, MPA uses satellite imagery and, for the first time, drones.
The three drones are piloted from MPA patrol craft. They are more effective in the daytime, when visibility of the water’s surface is clearer.
“This is a continuous effort. We will carry out these operations 24/7, and also continue to monitor the operations on the ground,” said Capt Chong of the MPA’s overall efforts.
As of Tuesday, 18 response craft and some 1,500m of booms have been deployed to prevent any further spread of the oil and facilitate the clean-up.
Another 1,600m of booms will be laid over the next few days. They include containment booms floating on the surface of the sea, and absorbent booms which are placed preemptively at biodiversity-sensitive areas, such as Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park, as a precaution.
Capt Chong added that MPA has patrol craft out on the waters all the time, and when it received information about the Jun 14 incident, the nearest craft to the site was deployed to assess the situation.
“There’s a window of opportunity for the oil to react with the dispersant. So within that period, all our response crafts and patrol craft were all called to use dispersant to spray on those oil that spilled on the waters,” he said.
“Subsequently, when the window of opportunity is over, then the strategy is to contain and recover the oil.”
ARE CURRENT MEASURES ENOUGH?
When asked if the authorities’ current response to tackling the oil spill is adequate, Capt Chong said MPA conducts risk assessments to understand the various scenarios that could occur in Singapore and what assets are required in response.
It also has agreements with salvage companies to standby the necessary resources to attend to any oil spills of different scales that may occur, he said.
“So we monitor this closely and of course, we do our regular exercises. From there, we will review whether the procedures and the assets that we have are sufficient to attend to this kind of situation or even worse ones,” said Capt Chong.
As for the cost of the clean-up operations so far, Capt Chong said that there are many agencies involved and it would “take some time to work out with the underwriters and also collate all the figures” such as the assets deployed and all the manpower and logistics involved.
He added that the duration of investigations would depend on the complexity of the incident and how fast investigators can gather the necessary information from the relevant parties.
Mr Stephen Beng, chairman of the Friends of the Marine Park Community, noted that when the news of the oil spill broke, people’s instinctive reaction on social media was typically to question “what can I do, can I go and help clean up the oil, can I go and see what animals need to be saved”.
He urged those who intend to volunteer and contribute to clean-up efforts to do so in a safe and effective way.
“The fact of the matter is professionals are the bosses. Everybody has their own domain expertise, and we have to be very careful of that,” he said.
“Knowing the role that you play in the bigger picture is so important. MPA has a job to do. They have all these complexities to deal with. There's so many tools available and so many assets deployed."
He said the communities can consider how they can "come in to contribute in a meaningful way" and not get in the way of the clean-up efforts.
‘Almost a complete loss’: Oil spill ruins sea sports businesses’ plans to cash in on long weekend
One operator said it suffered a nearly 80 to 90 per cent loss of income revenue, while another was hosting a weekly race in the waters when the oil reached them.
Nicolas Ng and Louisa Tang Channel NewsAsia 18 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Singapore expands clean-up effort to more areas, including eastern end of island
Sarah Koh Straits Times 18 Jun 2024
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.
Ng Hong Siang Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Singapore's water supply not affected by oil spill, coastal drains not linked to reservoirs: PUB
Water quality readings remain normal and no oil has been detected near the seawater intake at Jurong Island Desalination Plant.
Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Sentosa deploys about 100 workers to beef up beach cleaning efforts after oil spill
The Sentosa Development Corporation told CNA it started to cordon off affected parts of Palawan Beach on Friday night, hours after it was notified about the oil spill.
Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Affected parts of Sentosa cordoned off several hours after oil spill on Jun 14
The Sentosa Development Council (SDC) told CNA it started to cordon off affected parts of Palawan Beach on Friday (Jun 14) evening and the clean-up started the next morning.
Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Singapore fish farms in Johor Strait not affected, local fish safe to eat, says SFA
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times 17 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Dredger suffered sudden loss in engine, steering control before hitting ship
Raul Dancel Straits Times 16 Jun 2024
[Info additional to the press release] MPA told The Straits Times that half – or 400 tonnes – of the bunker vessel’s fuel leaked into the sea instantly, while the other half was contained and the authority ensured there were no further leaks from the vessel.
After the incident on June 14, animals including monitor lizards, otters and birds have been found covered in oil.
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society has received several reports about these distressed animals, its co-chief executive Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan told ST on June 16.
“Birds will be the quickest to get stranded in such situations,” he said, adding that Acres has a collared kingfisher recovering under its care for now.
More beaches closed after oil spill; MPA working with insurer to set up contact for third-party claims
The dredger suffered a sudden loss in engine and steering control before it hit the stationary bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal.
Channel NewsAsia 16 Jun 2024
No significant wildlife casualties in areas hit by oil spill on St John’s, Lazarus islands
Audrey Tan Straits Times 16 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - No significant wildlife casualties were observed in the oil-slicked areas of St John’s and Lazarus islands on June 16, but conservationists say they are on alert for longer-term ramifications for nature as it could take time for the impacts of oil spills to manifest.
The situation on both islands – connected to each other by a bridge – was much improved from the day before as clean-up efforts progressed, although oil slicks could still be seen in certain lagoons and bays.
A strong smell of oil still lingered in certain parts of both islands, and there were barnacles and snails coated in oil.
But no dead fish or oil-drenched creatures were spotted by volunteers and marine scientists who took part in a biodiversity survey coordinated by the National Parks Board (NParks). Some participants even observed fiddler crabs and a black-tipped reef shark in the waters off St John’s Island.
Dr Karenne Tun, director of NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre, told The Straits Times: “Floating oil patches were still sighted on the seawalls of Lazarus Island.
“No significant impact to marine biodiversity had been observed, though oil was observed on the roots of some mangrove plants in the area.”
Mr Kua Kay Yaw, one of the volunteers who took part in the June 16 survey, said: “It is a good sign that we did not see any wildlife in distress today, but we will have to monitor the situation. It could take a while before we see the true impacts from the oil spill.”
For example, oil slicks at Bendera Bay – an enclosed lagoon on St John’s Island where seagrass beds and coral tables for marine research are located – could affect the life there, said Mr Kua, who is from the Nature Society (Singapore)’s marine conservation group.
He added: “From what I saw, I’m still rather optimistic that the impact is not that bad. But we will need further investigations and surveys after the oil slick is cleaned up to determine the actual impact.”
St John’s and Lazarus islands, located about a 40-minute boat ride from Marina South Pier, are part of Singapore’s southern island chain. They were among the locations worst hit by the oil spill, which was caused when the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary, at about 2.20pm on June 14.
The damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour – which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal – leaked oil into the sea.
By the morning of June 15, the thick oily sludge had made its way to St John’s Island and sparked concerns among marine conservationists and scientists about its impact on marine life in the area.
NParks coordinated the biodiversity survey on June 16 to document the extent of the oil spill, and to keep an eye on whether any wildlife was in need of rescue. About 20 experienced volunteers, including marine scientists and conservationists, fanned out across St John’s and Lazarus islands for about four hours in the afternoon.
Singapore’s southern waters are a hot spot for marine biodiversity. Most of the nation’s coral reefs are found in the area, which is also where animals like dolphins and sea turtles can be spotted.
Mr Stephen Beng, chair of the Friends of Marine Park community – a voluntary network that includes marine scientists, boaters and ocean-dependent business owners – said the oil spill happened right at the start of the nesting season for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.
These marine reptiles nest on sandy seashores, and it is still unclear what impact the toxic oil could have on their eggs.
Turtles also need to come to the surface of the water to breathe, and could potentially ingest the oil in the process, Mr Beng noted. Coincidentally, World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated worldwide on June 16.
NParks’ Dr Tun said the board’s marine turtle conservation programme includes carrying out research, monitoring and conservation efforts together with the community, such as with researchers, Friends of Marine Park, and through a biodiversity beach patrol where the community helps report sightings of sea turtles along Singapore’s shores.
“Furthermore, monitoring of turtle sightings, nests and hatchlings is carried out regularly,” she said.
Dr Tun added that the biodiversity beach patrol scheduled for the morning of June 16 was cancelled due to the closure of the beachfront at East Coast Park areas B to H for oil spill clean-up works.
“The patrols will resume once the areas are reopened,” she added.
The spill comes about a month after Singapore announced plans to designate its second marine park – which will comprise the southern part of Lazarus Island and the reef off Kusu Island – in its southern waters.
Parts of the first marine park – the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park – were also affected by the spill, with rocky shores at St John’s Island’s western end coated in oil.
Dr Jani Tanzil, facility director of the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, was relieved to find that the seawater supply to the marine lab on the island was not affected by the oil spill.
“Our researchers are monitoring how badly their study sites on the island are affected by the oil spill,” she said.
Dr Tanzil and researchers from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University also collected samples of water and nerite snails – algae-eating creatures commonly seen on mangroves and rocky shores – to assess the impact of the oil spill on the marine environment.
A coral reef scientist, Dr Tanzil said the surveys showed that the sub-tidal corals – referring to corals which are always submerged underwater and not exposed to air at low tide – would likely not be too badly affected by the oil spill since oil floats on water.
However, these corals are still suffering from a bleaching event caused by higher-than-usual sea surface temperatures, she said.
Mr Beng said the oil spill adds to the human-caused stress factors confronting marine life in Singapore.
“They’re facing a triple whammy of rising sea surface temperatures caused by climate change, pressure from human activities such as overfishing, and now one of the most environmentally damaging forms of pollution that can cause long-term side effects to our local ecosystems.”
Protecting the ocean is not just about protecting marine biodiversity, although it is important, said Mr Beng.
The oil spill’s impact on businesses such as boat charterers and anglers, as well as members of the public out to enjoy the sun, sand and sea, shows the importance of maintaining the health of the ocean, he added.
“As long as people rely on the ocean in some form or another, the health of the ocean would have an impact on them.”
That the community could rally so quickly in times of crisis, working with NParks to document the impacts of the oil spill on the marine environment, was testament to the trust and relationship built up over the years since Friends of Marine Park was set up in 2017, Mr Beng said.
“We all see the value in protecting what ocean resources remain, and leveraging good relationships helps us respond better,” he said.
Ms Keterina Chong, a volunteer from International Coastal Cleanup Singapore who was part of the NParks survey, said it was fulfilling to be able to help out with it.
“Being physically on-site to witness the impact of the oil spill is a good experience. While we didn’t see any fauna in distress as a result of the oil spill, it was sad to see coral bleaching. The mangrove patch near the St John’s Island jetty also had oil stuck to its roots, which makes me wonder how it will impact the trees.”
Beachfront shops at Sentosa, East Coast Park face thinner crowds after oil spill forces beach closures
Carmen Sin Straits Times 16 Jun 2024
Oil spill clean-up resumes at Sentosa, East Coast Park
Black oil slicks and the stench of petrochemicals remain at the beachfronts of Sentosa and East Coast Park two days after the incident.
Davina Tham Channel NewsAsia 16 Jun 2024
Cleanup under way after oil slicks hit East Coast, Labrador Park, Keppel Bay, Sentosa and Southern Islands - with details on impact to residents, beach goers and businesses
Sarah Koh and Syarafana Shafeeq Straits Times 16 Jun 2024.
'Difficult to breathe': Sentosa residents unwell from effects of oil spill; yacht companies predict losses
One yacht company says it expects to lose about S$3,200 in a day due to the oil spill.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun 2024.
Oil spill reaches Sentosa, East Coast Park and other areas; some beaches closed for clean-up
The beachfront at East Coast Park from area B to H, as well as parts of Labrador Nature Reserve, will be closed until further notice.
Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun 2024
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."
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 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," 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."
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
An MPA-led Emergency Operation Centre has been set up with the key agencies represented to coordinate government efforts on the matter.
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
Beachfront in parts of East Coast Park closed amid oil spill, Sentosa beaches open but no swimming allowed
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times 15 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - A large section of the beachfront in East Coast Park will be closed to the public amid cleanup efforts in the aftermath of an oil spill resulting from a ship accident in Pasir Panjang Terminal.
The beachfront closure in East Coast Park will stretch from Area B to Area H.
The jetty and rocky shore at Labrador Nature Reserve will also be closed, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Parks Board (NParks), National Environment Agency (NEA), Sentosa Development Corporation in a joint statement on June 15.
In Sentosa, the Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches will remain open, but water activities and swimming will not be allowed.
Food and beverage establishments, tracks, fields, and cycling paths remain open, the statement said.
The oil spill is the result of an incident involving the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary, on June 14.
Due to the tidal current, the oil has landed along shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier, and East Coast Park, the statement said.
“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,” it added.
There are no signs of oil slick within Sister’s Islands Marine Park but oil sheen was observed in the surrounding waters, it said.
MPA patrol craft were deployed to spray dispersants on the spill. The MPA oil spill response contractor was also activated, and the team mobilised oil booms, dispersants and oil skimmer to reduce the impact of the spill.
The joint statement said 18 response craft have been deployed by MPA, port operator PSA, Singapore Salvage Engineers, Tian San Shipping, and T&T Salvage to carry out the containment and clean-up efforts at sea.
Close to 1,500m of container booms have been deployed and more will be used 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, the statement added.
NParks has also deployed oil absorbent booms to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve.
Although 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.
Members of the public who encounter any oil-slicked animal can contact the Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600.
NEA is also monitoring water quality at other beaches while MPA will be conducting an investigation into the incident.
Oil spill reaches S’pore’s southern islands, sparking concerns over corals weakened from bleaching
Audrey Tan Straits Times 15 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - Oil leaking from a damaged cargo tank at Pasir Panjang Terminal reached the marine habitats on Singapore’s southern islands on the morning of June 15, with members of the marine conservation and recreation community reporting sightings of marine habitats and creatures – including mangroves and a kingfisher – slicked in oil.
The fishing and yachting community is on alert for fish deaths over the next few days, while marine biologists fear how Singapore’s corals will fare amid the spill.
This is especially since the Republic’s coral reefs are still in a weakened state due to the ongoing bleaching event caused by rising sea surface temperatures.
Mr Ahmed Aliyar, an administrative manager at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML), told The Straits Times that he first saw oil clinging to the mangroves next to St John’s Island’s main jetty at about 8.45 am on June 15.
“I was in the ferry heading to St John’s from Marina South Pier this morning. The sea was covered with oil and trash and there was a strong crude oil smell in the air,” he added.
Later, as he made his rounds around the island, he also saw an oily sheen covering the lagoons and coastal areas around St John’s and the adjacent Lazarus Island.
The spill was caused by a collision at about 2.20pm on June 14 between a Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary.
The damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour – which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal – leaked oil into the sea.
Dr Jani Tanzil, a coral reef scientist and facility director of the SJINML, said that when staff left the island at about 5pm on June 14, the oil had not yet reached the island.
The spill comes about a month after Singapore announced plans to designate its second marine park – which will comprise the southern part of Lazarus Island and the reef off Kusu Island – in its southern waters.
Parts of Singapore’s first marine park – the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park – were also affected by the spill, with rocky shores at St John’s Island’s western end reportedly coated in oil.
Dr Tanzil said plans are being made among the Friends of Marine Park community – including marine scientists, boaters and ocean-dependent business owners – to survey the shores around St John’s and Lazarus Islands on June 16 to document the oil slicks and impact on marine life.
The intertidal area refers to the zone that is exposed to air at low tide, and covered by seawater at high tide. When the tide recedes and exposes the corals to air, it is likely that the oil will coat the exposed corals, said Dr Tanzil.
“The oil is toxic and can smother them the same way it impacts other marine life,” she said. “So with the ongoing coral bleaching which is also affecting more of the shallower corals, it is a double whammy that can affect their recovery.”
Asked about the impact of the oil spill on the deeper corals, Dr Tanzil said it depends on a number of factors. Oil on the surface could block out light needed for corals to photosynthesise, so it depends on how long it takes for it to be removed.
The type of dispersants used in the clean-up could also have an impact, she said, as studies have shown that certain types of chemicals could change the density of the hydrocarbons in the oil and cause them to sink.
“If this happens, it can affect the sub-tidal corals too,” she said.
“I am just thankful that this did not happen during the mass coral spawning period,” Dr Tanzil said, referring to the yearly event where hard corals release their sperms and eggs en-masse to reproduce. This year’s spawning event took place at the end of April 2024.
“If it did, then all this oil and dispersants will definitely affect the coral spawn and larvae. Some studies have shown that oil does adversely affect coral growth rates and reproductive rates,” she added.
Meanwhile, Mr N. Sivasothi, a mangrove expert at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said: “It’s upsetting that this incident involving a stationary vessel could happen in the daytime.”
The impact of the spill on the mangrove habitats depend on oil types and volume, he added.
“It could impact vegetative structures such as roots, stems and leaves; disrupt reproduction and affect wildlife, especially aquatic species lower in the food chain which could be poisoned or suffocated,” he said.
Ms Sue Ye, founder of Marine Stewards – a marine conservation non-government organisation comprising anglers, divers and boaters – said oil spills smother and suffocate fish, birds and marine animals that have to go to the surface for air, such as turtles and dolphins.
The group is also on the lookout for fish deaths over the next few days, she added.
Ms Ye said that one of the group’s members, Mr Samuel Pua, spotted a kingfisher coated in oil at Lazarus Island on the morning of June 15.
“He said the kingfisher wasn’t able to fly, though it tried. He tried to get close to rescue it, but it jumped away. Didn’t chase further because if it jumped backwards more, it’ll be in a pool of oil,” she said.
The Straits Times has reached out to NParks for comment.
Oil spill from ship reaches East Coast Park, sea activities on Sentosa beaches halted
Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun 2024
A day earlier, on Friday (Jun 14), an oil spill took place in the waters off Pasir Panjang Terminal, several kilometres west of Sentosa.
SINGAPORE: Oil has washed up along the coast of several beaches in Singapore, including those in Sentosa and East Coast Park, a day after a dredger hit a bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal.
Oil was seen on Saturday (Jun 15) at Sentosa's beaches at Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong, as well as at Sentosa Cove which is home to several condominiums.
Visitors to Sentosa will be allowed to use the beaches on the resort island, but swimming and sea activities will be prohibited for the time being to facilitate an oil spill clean-up, said a spokesperson from Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).
A letter from property management company Knight Frank to Sentosa Cove residents earlier in the day stated that all beaches were "closed".
The oil slick had spread from a spillage that occurred on Friday at Pasir Panjang Terminal when a Netherlands-flagged dredger hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel at about 2.20pm.
Some oil from the damaged cargo tank on board the bunker vessel spilled into the water.
"Sixteen oil spill response craft have been deployed to continue spraying oil dispersants and to collect the oil slicks on the water surface," the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Saturday.
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.
"We have since stopped all beach activities in and along the waters of our beaches, and have commenced a clean-up immediately, alongside MPA and relevant authorities," said SDC, 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."
At East Coast Park, oil was seen along the beach. There was an obvious 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 prior to 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 Park, with a boom stretched between the jetty and the coast.
A worker said the boom was being used to try to stop the spread of the oil.
MPA said on Saturday afternoon that that is no impact on navigational traffic. "Berthing operations at Pasir Panjang Terminal remain unaffected," it added.
In a statement on Friday at 6pm when it first announced the oil spill, MPA said the spill had been "contained".
Pasir Panjang Terminal is on the mainland of Singapore, several kilometres west of Sentosa.
Additional reporting by Matthew Mohan and Syamil Sapari
Oil spill clean-up in progress at Pasir Panjang Terminal after boat hits stationary vessel: MPA
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times 14 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - Clean-up operations are under way at Pasir Panjang Terminal after a boat hit another vessel on June 14, resulting in an oil spill.
The incident involved the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.
The damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour – which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal – leaked oil into the sea, the statement added.
The spill has been contained, it said.
MPA, port operator PSA and the bunker vessel firm have activated oil spill response craft, the statement added.
The incident took place at about 2.20pm on June 14, and there were no injuries reported.
Both vessels are anchored safely, but MPA said there is some damage above the waterline, which refers to the part of the hull of a ship that meets the surface of the water.
The statement said: “There is no impact to navigational safety and berthing operations at PSA remain unaffected.”
Related links
4 crewmen on Dutch dredging boat that caused worst oil spill in Singapore in a decade charged
Shaffiq Alkhatib Straits Times 6 Nov 2024.
SINGAPORE – Four crew members on Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima allegedly failed to perform their duties properly on June 14, causing around 400 tonnes of fuel to be leaked into the sea after an accident.
The dredger struck stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal, which led to the worst oil spill here in a decade.
It spread to the coastlines of East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa, and even to the Johor coastline in Kota Tinggi.
Water activities at the affected beaches here were suspended as the areas were being cleaned.
The four Dutchmen – Merijn Heidema, 25; Martin Hans Sinke, 48; Richard Ouwehand, 49; and Eric Peijpers, 55 – were each handed a charge under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 on Nov 6.
On June 14, Vox Maxima suffered a sudden loss of engine and steering control before it hit Marine Honour.
At the time of the incident, Ouwehand was the master of Vox Maxima, while Sinke was the officer in charge of the navigational watch.
They are accused of failing to ensure that emergency steering was carried out when emergency power was supplied to the vessel’s steering gear pumps, resulting in the accident.
Heidema and Peijpers were then officers in charge of the engineering watch. The pair had allegedly failed to ensure that when the engine room was put in a standby condition, an adequate reserve of power was available for Vox Maxima’s steering gear.
The cases involving the four of them have been adjourned to Dec 4.
Government press releases
Focused Cleaning in Full Swing. Call for Volunteers for Next Phase
From Maritime Port Authority website 24 Jun 2024
The next phase of joint efforts on the focused cleaning of the difficult-to-reach areas on land and coastlines is in full swing using specialised equipment for the clean-up efforts.
Focused Cleaning in Full Swing
2. All the affected areas, including Sentosa Tanjong beach, have entered the second phase of the clean-up response, which focuses on difficult-to-clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters, and oil trapped deeper in the sand. The cleaning methods for the second phase are decided jointly by the oil spill consultants and cleaning contractors. These methods will be adapted and refined as required, as the shoreline features of affected areas may differ. For biodiversity-sensitive sites, to minimise impact, strategies such as allowing for natural flushing may be adopted.
3. Members of the public may notice a scaling down of general cleaning at the affected beaches, as more specialised teams are deployed to clean these difficult areas. General cleaning of the beaches may still be required, as oil remnants may continue to be washed ashore.
4. The washing of berths at Pasir Panjang Container Terminal is about 20% completed with the estimated completion date by end July 2024. Port operations are not affected during this clean-up effort.
Gradual Re-opening
5. We expect the clean-up to take around three months, though this will vary for each area. The cordoned-off areas of the beaches at Sentosa, along East Coast Park, and Southern Islands will progressively open for land-based activities [1]. We will test the water quality until it is back to normal and stable for a week, before resuming swimming and other primary contact sea activities.
6. Marina at Keppel Bay has re-opened since 28 June 2024 following the removal of the accumulated oil in the marina and after a joint assessment with ITOPF and the cleaning contractors. High pressure washing of the marinas and condos will continue to be carried out to remove the oil stains. Separately, ONEo 15 Marina Sentosa Cove has also re-opened access to the marina since 25 June 2024 as localised clean-up efforts progress.
Support for Businesses
7. On matters of claims, economic losses caused by the contamination can be submitted for claims assessment by British Marine, the insurer of MARINE HONOUR. A contact email to receive claims from affected parties has been set up and affected businesses can write to marinehonour@helmsmanlaw.com to enquire.
8. In accordance with international and local laws, the owner of the bunker vessel MARINE HONOUR is liable up to the limits prescribed in law for the damage. Claims exceeding the liability of the owner of MARINE HONOUR will be made against the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund 1992, which has a higher limit.
Support for Businesses
9. Agencies including the National Parks Board, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and Singapore Land Authority are closely monitoring the impact of the oil spill on affected businesses. The agencies are developing rental deferral measures to help affected businesses with their cash flow, on a case-by-case basis. SDC will also look to promote a return of footfall through marketing and social media support. As mentioned by the Ministry of Transport during last week’s joint press conference, the economic losses resulting from the oil spill can be assessed for claims.
Volunteers for the Final Phase of Clean-up Efforts
10. Many volunteers have stepped forward to offer their assistance in the clean-up operations. Volunteers have not been directly involved in the beach clean-up actions, due to the complexity of the tasks, and for their personal safety.
11. Volunteers may be mobilised in the final phase of the clean-up, after agencies assess that it is safe to do so. For the final phase, remnant oil deposits hardened and mixed with sand, in the form of tar balls, will need to be sieved and separated for removal. Partnering relevant agencies, the Public Hygiene Council will help to train, equip, and coordinate with volunteers for this effort. This would be a safe and meaningful way for Singaporeans to contribute to the re-opening of our beaches and waters.
12. Agencies will work with partners and community groups such as Stridy and International Coastal Cleanup Singapore on the recovery efforts, for example, for the coastal clean-ups and surveys.
Ambient Air Quality Safe, Water Supply Unaffected, Seafood Safe for Consumption
13. The air quality in affected areas at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa remains well within safe levels. Information on air quality at affected beaches is published on NEA’s website.
14. Singapore’s drinking water supply remains unaffected. There is no impact to operations at national water agency PUB’s desalination plants and reservoirs.
15. To date, our fish farms remain unaffected by the oil spill. As a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been taking seafood samples from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. SFA also continues to test imported fish. The test results indicate that our local and imported fish remain safe for consumption.
[1] The cordoned-off areas include the foreshore of the beaches where clean-up is on-going. When the clean-up is complete, the cordons will be removed. Unaffected areas of the beaches, especially towards the backshore, have remained open throughout this period.
Removal of Bulk Oil at Sea and Shore Near Completion. Next Phase Commences with More Specialised Clean Up of Trapped Oil
From Maritime Port Authority website 24 Jun 2024
The removal of bulk oil from the sea and beaches is nearly completed. There has been no observed oil slick along the East Coast and Changi since 18 June based on both satellite and drone images. The bulk of oil-soaked sand has been removed from most of the affected public beaches, with the exception of Tanjong and Palawan beach at Sentosa. To date, about 550 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and debris have been collected from all affected beaches.
2. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and private organisations have deployed over 700 personnel since 14 June for cleaning-up operations. Over 3,400 metres of boom have been laid, to help contain trapped oil from flowing back to sea, and to prevent oil remnants from being washed ashore and into our inland canals while beach clean-up operations are ongoing. As the tides may continue to sweep in more oil remnants, we will be vigilant and continue to monitor.
Clean-up Operations Transition into the Next Stage of Cleaning Rock Bunds
3. We are moving to the next phase of the clean-up response, which is focused on the more difficult clean-up of oil remnants trapped in areas such as coastal features, waterside infrastructures and rock bunds. These areas are not as easily accessible, and oil could be trapped in crevices and below beach surfaces that require significant effort to clean.
4. This new phase will involve specialised resources and equipment. This cleaning will be done carefully, considering the conditions at each site, such as wind, tide and currents, to minimise the oil on the rock bunds from re-polluting the coastline, beaches, and biodiversity-sensitive areas. We are working with the oil spill consultants to deploy the most effective methods for cleaning while minimising cleaning contamination to surrounding areas.
5. For the more heavily impacted areas, including Sentosa’s Tanjong and Palawan beaches, the specialised clean-up operations are expected to take around three months, based on our preliminary estimates.
6. For the more lightly impacted areas at Sentosa Siloso beach and certain stretches of East Coast Park, this clean-up is expected to be completed earlier. The rock bund cleaning at Siloso beach has commenced since 21 June and the Singapore Civil Defence Force has deployed a Rapid Response Fire Vessel at the affected area to support the cleaning operation. The rock bund cleaning at selected rock bunds at East Coast Park beaches will commence this week and we are working towards the progressive re-opening of certain stretches earlier as well. All the beaches on Sentosa remain open.
7. For biodiversity-sensitive sites, ongoing efforts are underway to monitor longer term impacts to biodiversity.
8. Even after a beach has been cleaned and re-opened, swimming and water activities can resume only after water quality has gone back to normal and is stable . The Government is also closely monitoring the impact of the oil spill on related businesses and affected residents as the situation continues to evolve.
9. Sentosa Cove is less severely affected, as lockgates were closed promptly, supplemented by absorbent booms since 15 June 2024. Currently, vessel movements within Sentosa Cove have been halted and these efforts have been made to minimise the impact on Cove waterways and canals within residential areas, while awaiting oil deposits on seaward rock bunds to be cleaned. Vessel movements would be allowed to resume when lockgates are safe to open.
Final Clean Up of Residual Oil in Areas Off Pasir Panjang Container Terminal
10. Cleaning of trapped oil remnants in the shoreline areas and waterside infrastructures off Pasir Panjang Container Terminal including PSA Terminal and Labrador Nature Reserve has been largely completed on 23 June. There are no observed residual oil floating off the shoreline and the stranded oil near the shore and port structure since this morning. The upstream cleaning of the oil spillage is important to help prevent further spread of floating oil to other downstream locations, including Sentosa.
11. Containment booms have been laid at the mouth of Keppel Marina to facilitate the clean-up efforts of the accumulated oil. A total of about 40 clean-up personnel and two skimmer systems to recover the accumulated oil have been deployed. Oil booms at the mouth of the three canals leading to the residential areas have been set up and cleaning works are ongoing to clear the oil gathered there.
Clear Patches of Waters off the Eastern Anchorages, Changi, and Pasir Ris
12. There have been no observed oil slicks at the Eastern Anchorages based on both satellite images and daily drone monitoring flights. Sporadic patches of oil sheens are observed but this thin layer of oil on the water surface are expected to dissipate through a natural process.
13. No oil has been observed at Changi and Pasir Ris Park beaches. NEA will continue to monitor the situation closely. As a precaution, members of the public are advised against swimming at Changi and affected beaches and engaging in other primary contact water activities until further notice.
14. The Current Buster systems are currently stationed off Changi and the east coast area and are ready to respond to any sightings of oil slicks in the area, with the support of the Police Coast Guard monitoring the area off Changi. The situation is dynamic, and it is possible for the oil spill to resurface at a later stage or flow to and affect other areas. We will continue to remain vigilant and monitor the situation.
No Significant Observations at Biodiversity-Sensitive Areas and Southern Islands
15. Even as the cleaning of the shoreline at Labrador Nature Reserve is largely completed, agencies are closely monitoring the area and oil-absorbent booms will continue to be deployed there as a precaution. As of 23 June, the beaches at St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu Islands remain cleared of oily sand. The beaches will be monitored for further signs of oil slicks. Containment booms have been laid across the entrance to Kusu Island, as an added preventative measure. The recovery of the accumulated oil around St John's Island and Lazarus Island is ongoing after the booms were deployed.
16. While no oil has been observed off West Coast Park, Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Pasir Ris Park and Coney Island Park, oil-absorbent booms have been deployed there as precautionary measures. Time will be needed to observe and understand the long-term effects of the oil spill on the biodiversity in those areas.
Galvanising Collective Action by the Community
17. Over 1,500 members of the public have come forward, indicating interest in helping with the oil spill management efforts. Over 2,000 more members of the public have also indicated interest in being updated on ongoing efforts and future volunteering opportunities.
18. Thus far, over 400 volunteers, including volunteers of the Public Hygiene Council, have helped to patrol East Coast Park and West Coast Park, advising members of the public to stay away from affected beachfronts, as well as reporting sightings of oil stains and of oil-slicked wildlife.
19. Volunteers from Friends of Marine Park and marine experts are carrying out surveys at St John’s Island and Lazarus Island, together with NParks staff, to monitor the impact of the oil spill on biodiversity on these offshore islands.
20. Agencies have consulted around 30 stakeholder groups, including nature groups, grassroots and Institutes of Higher Learning, to explore opportunities to involve them in assessing and managing the longer-term impact of the oil spill on our biodiversity.
Fish Safe to Consume. Ambient Air Quality Safe and Water Supply Unaffected
21. To date, our fish farms remain unaffected by the oil spill. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been taking fish samples twice daily from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. The test results continue to indicate that our local fish are safe for consumption. SFA has also been closely engaging the fish farmers to undertake precautionary measures to protect their farming areas. SFA has provided absorbent pads and canvas sheets to the fish farms, and assisted or advised them on the deployment of these items. SFA also continues to test imported seafood under its existing food safety system.
22. The air quality in affected areas at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa remains well within safe levels. NEA will continue to monitor the air quality at the affected areas daily to ensure the safety of the public and personnel involved in the clean-up operations. Information on air quality at affected beaches is published and updated daily on NEA’s website.
23. Singapore’s drinking water supply remains unaffected. There is no impact to operations at all our desalination plants and reservoirs. National water agency PUB’s water quality readings remain normal.
Impact on Businesses
24. Beachfront businesses are open for business except for those offering activities that take place at sea or on beaches which are currently closed. The Government is in touch with these businesses and is also closely monitoring the business impact.
25. British Marine, the insurer of the stationary tanker, MARINE HONOUR, has set up 3rd party claims contact to attend to affected parties who have been impacted. For claims related inquiries, please contact marinehonour@helmsmanlaw.com.
Transferring Remaining Oil from MARINE HONOUR
26. The damaged MARINE HONOUR which spilled the oil on 14 June is currently anchored off the western petroleum anchorage. The remaining fuel oil onboard from the ruptured cargo tank and its full contents onboard the vessel must be emptied before it can be towed into the shipyard for its repair. Aside the containment booms laid around the vessel, a 35-tonnes oil load Current Buster system is on station to respond to any potential leaks in the lightering process to transfer the MARINE HONOUR oil to another vessel.
27. The safe lightering of MARINE HONOUR is expected to take one to two weeks as care is needed to ensure the stability of the vessel throughout the process.
Regional cooperation
28. We have been in close contact with the relevant Malaysian authorities, which shared on 19 June 2024 that they have observed some oil slicks off Johor. We will continue to share relevant information to facilitate their efforts.
Making Progress on the Sea and Shore Clean-Up Operations
From Maritime Port Authority website 20 Jun 2024
The northern part of the Pasir Panjang Container Terminal (PPT) is cleared of oil slicks following the deployment of the Current Buster, an oil recovery and containment system, since 18 June. Thorough cleaning of the oil-stained Berth 36 near the allision area using high-pressure jets is on-going.
2. PPT was the location of the oil spillage following the 14 June allision between Netherlands-registered dredger VOX MAXIMA and stationary bunker tanker MARINE HONOUR. The deployment of the Current Buster at this upstream location is important to prevent surface oil from flowing westwards towards West Coast Park which is unaffected till date, and also eastward towards downstream locations, including Sentosa beaches, Sentosa Cove, Southern Islands, and Keppel Marina. The oil recovery operations at sea are guided by MPA’s and Meteorological Service’s predictive modelling of tidal and wind conditions, and drone & satellite imagery.
3. Three Current Buster systems have been deployed. Two systems capable of five tonnes of recovered oil per load are deployed off western affected areas at PPT and Sentosa. The other system capable of 35 tonnes load is deployed off eastern affected areas off East Coast and Changi East as a precaution to recover any oil and prevent further spread. Another 35 tonnes-load Current Buster system will be deployed shortly.
4. Total length of booms deployed since 14 June is 3400 meters. This is more than the approximate 3100 meters originally planned.
Progress of Shore Clean-Up Effort
5. Sentosa. The deployment of the containment booms off the three Sentosa beaches of Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches has been completed. These booms will help prevent additional oil from being washed ashore while the beach clean-up operations are ongoing. A large majority of Siloso beach has been cleared of oily sand. This will be followed by efforts to commence thorough cleaning of the oil-stained lagoon-facing rock bunds. The beach clean-up efforts at Palawan and Tanjong beaches are ongoing with the focused cleaning planned in the next phase after Siloso beach clean-up is completed. While the beaches remain open and island businesses are operating as per normal, sea activities and swimming are not permitted.
6. Labrador Nature Reserve and Cooper Channel. The recovery of the accumulated oil off Labrador Nature Reserve and Cooper Channel is ongoing after the booms were put in place on 18 June. These are on top of booms already deployed there to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve.
7. St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands. As at 5 pm yesterday, the beaches at St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu Islands have been cleared of oily sand. The beaches will be monitored for further signs of oil slicks.
8. East Coast Park, Tanah Merah and Labrador Nature Reserve. Clean-up efforts by National Environment Agency (NEA) are progressing well at East Coast Park. A large majority of oil deposits on the beach has been removed. Parts of Labrador Nature Reserve and the beach at Tanah Merah have been largely cleaned up. However, as the tides may continue to sweep in remnants of oil deposits, further clean-up efforts would likely be required.
9. Changi and Pasir Ris Park. As at 5 pm yesterday, no oil has been observed at Changi and Pasir Ris beaches. NEA will continue to monitor the situation closely.
10. As a precaution, members of the public are advised against swimming at the beaches and engaging in other primary contact water activities until further notice.
11. No oil has been observed off biodiversity-sensitive areas at Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park, and Pasir Ris Park. Absorbent booms will continue to be deployed there as preventive measures. No oil has been observed off West Coast Park and absorbent booms have been deployed as a precaution to protect the mangroves at the Marsh Garden.
12. There have not been any reports of oil slicks sighted off Changi since 18 June. Fish Safe to Consume. Ambient Air Quality Safe and Water Supply Unaffected
13. To date, none of our fish farms have been affected by the oil spill. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency has taken fish samples from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. The test results confirmed that our local fish are safe for consumption.
14. The air quality at affected areas at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa remains well within safe levels. NEA will continue to monitor the air quality at the affected areas daily to ensure the safety of the public and personnel involved in the clean-up operations. Information on air quality at affected beaches is published and updated daily on NEA’s website.
15. PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, would like to assure the public that Singapore’s drinking water supply remains unaffected. Drinking water quality readings remain normal and there is no impact to operations at all the desalination plants and reservoirs. Progress of Clean-Up Efforts at Marinas
16. Containment booms have been laid at the mouth of Keppel Marina to facilitate the clean-up efforts of the accumulated oil. A total of about 20 clean-up personnel and two skimmer systems to recover the accumulated oil have been deployed since 18 June.
17. One Degree 15 Marina has maintained restricted access to the Marina. Localised clean-up efforts continue.
Regional Cooperation 18. Singaporean authorities are in touch with their Malaysian counterparts to cooperate on efforts to address any further impact of the oil spill. Singapore, Malaysia, together with Indonesia, are part of the Revolving Fund Committee, where the three littoral states can request and provide support for oil spills and clean-up operations in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
Joint Oil Spill Clean-Up Operations Advance to Next Phase
from Maritime Port Authority website 17 Jun 2024
The next phase of the clean-up operations has commenced with the additional deployment of various booms and oil recovery systems. 1500 metres of booms have been deployed, and an additional 1600 metres will be deployed over the next few days in designated sites to support the containment of accumulated oil to facilitate the clean-up operation off the beaches and shorelines. Additional booms will also be deployed as a preventive measure off Changi East. Seven oil recovery assets have been deployed today to skim and collect the remaining oil spillage off the water surface to minimise further spread of the oil.
Deployment Of Additional Booms
2. The areas with the deployment of the additional booms in progress are as follows. These will be in addition to those already deployed at Keppel Marina, East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and West Coast Park.
a. Sentosa: The booms at Palawan beach have been installed, with the remaining booms to be fully deployed at Siloso beach and Tanjong beach by 18 June. 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 booms are in addition to those have already been partially deployed at Tanjong beach and those that have been fully deployed on 16 June at Sentosa Cove and Oneo15 Marina Sentosa Cove.
b. Labrador Nature Reserve: Additional booms will be deployed to facilitate cleaning of oil accumulated at the catchment areas. These will be deployed by 18 June. These are in additional to the booms already deployed there to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve.
c. Southern Islands: Booms will be deployed at selected location at Cooper Channel, Southern islands, to facilitate clean-up of the accumulated oil there.
3. Oil absorbent booms have been deployed along stretches of the East Coast Park beaches that are significantly impacted, and at the canal openings to trap oil to prevent them from flowing back into the canal. Oil slicks continue to accumulate along East Coast Park. The clean-up operations along the beaches will be an ongoing process.
4. Some of the oil has been seen off Changi today. 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. 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. Over the next few days, additional containment and absorbent booms will be deployed to protect the fish farms at the East Johor Straits and also Chek Jawa Wetlands and Changi Creek. A Current Buster system, a specialised oil floating containment and recovery device deployed from vessels will be deployed on 18 June off the Changi Exhibition Centre as a pre-emptive measure. Each system consists of a boom with a skirt that extends below the water surface to corral and collect the oil on the water surface.
5. PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency has updated that operations at Singapore’s desalination plants and freshwater reservoirs remain unaffected.
Deployment Of Oil Recovery Vessels and Systems at Sea
6. Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) has deployed two Current Buster systems. One of the Current Buster systems is deployed off Labrador Nature Reserve to collect the weathered oil1. The other system is deployed off Bedok Jetty. The Current Buster is capable of collecting up to five tonnes of oil in one craft-load before discharging.
7. Two sets of skimmer-systems operated by T&T Salvage and Singapore Salvage Engineers Pte Ltd have also been deployed. The system includes the craft-towed booms to corral the surface oil and a skimmer to skim and “lift” the oil off the water surface into storage tanks. A skimmer system is deployed at Marina South Pier while another is deployed off East Coast Lagoon.
8. The Current Buster systems and skimmer craft are in addition to three vessels-towed collection booms systems deployed by Singapore Salvage Engineers Pte Ltd. More Oil Recovery vessels will be deployed over the next few days.
Air Quality Remains Well Within Safe levels. Public Advised Against Swimming at Changi Beach
9. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been conducting daily air quality tests at affected areas along Sentosa, East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve since 15 June. This is to ensure the safety of the public and personnel involved in the clean-up operations. The daily test includes measuring levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene (BTX), that are commonly associated with bunkering fuels and other petrochemicals. Thus far, the air quality at the affected areas is well within safe levels. In addition, NEA monitors ambient levels of VOCs at various locations in Singapore and no anomalies have been detected.
10. 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. 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.
Progress of Clean-up Operations at the Beaches and Shorelines
11. Sentosa Beaches: Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) is 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.
12. Labrador Nature Reserve: Oil slick had adhered to the rock bunds along the Promenade area, with oil sheen observed in the surrounding waters. Oil slick is also observed along the Rocky Shore, while light oil sheen is observed at Berlayer Creek. The National Parks Board (NParks) has deployed oil absorbent booms to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve and will continue to monitor the situation.
13. Cleaning efforts at both East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve will continue to be carried out by NEA cleaners. As at 17 June 2024 at 6:00pm, there are no signs of oil slick within Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, with oil sheen observed in the surrounding waters.
14. To facilitate clean-up efforts, the following beaches will be closed until further notice.
a. Beaches at East Coast Park (from Area B to H)
b. Labrador Nature Reserve (Jetty and Rocky Shore)
c. Sentosa beaches remain open for public, but sea activities and swimming are not allowed at Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso Beach
d. Beaches at St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands
The public is advised to keep away from these areas to facilitate the clean-up operations.
15. All other areas at both East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve including F&B remain open.
Volunteers
16. NParks has received overwhelming response from members of the public to help out and will activate volunteers if more help is needed. For their safety, volunteers will not be deployed for shoreline clean-up. While oil spillage impact at West Coast Park has not been observed, volunteers were deployed to monitor the situation at the park 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. 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.
17. 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, were deployed thus 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.
Regional Cooperation
18. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has informed the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities. 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.
Footnote:
1 Weathered oil refers to oil that has undergone changes due to exposure to the environment over time, which affects its appearance and chemical composition
Joint Media Statement: Progress of Joint Oil Spill Clean-up Operations
Posted on Maritime Port Authority website 16 Jun 2024
2. The allision caused a rupture of one of the MARINE HONOUR’s oil cargo tanks, and its contents of low-sulphur fuel oil were released to the sea. MPA patrol craft were immediately activated and deployed to spray dispersants on the spill. MPA’s oil spill response contractor was also activated, and they mobilised an oil skimmer to reduce the impact of the spill. Booms were also laid around the vessels thereafter as added precaution in case of further leaks from the vessel. Due to the tidal currents, parts of the oil spillage have landed along the southern shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier, and East Coast Park.
3. As at 16 June 2024 at 1:30 pm, there are no signs of oil slick within Sisters’ 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. Beaches at East Coast Park (from Area B to H)
b. Labrador Nature Reserve (Jetty and Rocky Shore)
c. Sentosa – Sentosa's beaches remain open for public, but sea activities and swimming are not allowed at Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso Beach
d. Beaches at St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands
4. The public is advised to keep away from these areas to facilitate the clean-up operations. All other areas at both East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve including F&B remain open.
5. National Parks Board (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.
6. Close to 1500 metres of containment booms have been progressively deployed since last Friday, at various locations including the three beaches at Sentosa, entrance of Keppel Marina, off Labrador Nature Reserve, East Coast Park and West Coast Park.
7. Another 1600 metres of booms will be laid over the next few days to prevent further spread of oil onto the shore. The booms are less effective when there are higher waves above 0.5 metres. Use of dispersants can help to break down the surface oil into droplets to enhance biodegradation. For treated oil with dispersants, these may be suspended in the water and be carried by tidal currents to coastlines.
8. Oil recovery efforts at sea are progressing. Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), the largest international industry-funded cooperative providing oil spill response services, is supporting the clean-up efforts. OSRL will deploy two Current Buster systems, which are floating containment and recovery devices deployed from a vessel. It consists of a boom with a skirt that extends below the water surface to corral and concentrate the oil on the water surface. OSRL’s capabilities will be in addition to two skimmer craft deployed. The skimmer craft is a specialised vessel equipped with skimming equipment to skim and “lift” the oil off the water surface into storage tanks.
9. As of 16 June 2024, at 1:30 pm, no oil slick has been reported in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait. Navigation traffic in the TSS remains unaffected. Port operations are unaffected.
10. Ashore, the National Environment Agency (NEA), NParks and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) have deployed a total of over 250 personnel, including more than 50 professional workers from OSRL, 50 NParks officers, cleaners and other officers to support the beach and shoreline clean-up efforts.
11. NParks has received overwhelming response from members of the public to help out with over 1,500 sign-ups as of this afternoon and will activate volunteers if more help is needed. For their safety, volunteers will not be deployed for shoreline clean-up.
12. While we have not observed oil spillage impact at West Coast Park, volunteers have also been deployed to monitor the situation at West Coast Park for early alert. Currently, volunteers have also been activated to patrol the beach areas at East Coast Park tomorrow and we advise members of the public to stay away from the affected oil spill sites. Volunteers at both parks can further assist with info sharing and reporting on affected wildlife and areas.
13. 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 thanks everyone for their prompt responses in caring for the parks and nature areas.
14. NParks staff, together with volunteers from Friends of Marine Park, visited St John’s and Lazarus Island this morning to observe and document the impact of the oil spill at these areas.
15. MPA is working with British Marine, the insurer of the stationary tanker, Marine Honour, to set up 3rd party claims contact to attend to affected parties who have been impacted. For claims related inquiries, please contact marinehonour@helmsmanlaw.com
16. Further details will be released when available. See Annex for image of Marine Honour on 14 June 2024.
Mainstream media articles
Safety lapses found on Dutch dredging boat involved in June oil spill in Singapore
Kok Yufeng Straits Times 6 Jul 2024
TLDR "MPA said the inspection, which ensures visiting foreign ships meet international standards on safety, security and marine pollution prevention, is separate from the investigations that are being conducted by the authorities into the June 14 incident.
“In addition to routine inspections, whenever there is a collision, allision or bunker spill, MPA will also do a PSC inspection. This is MPA’s current standard operating procedure,” the authority added.
According to a public database of PSC inspection results in the Asia-Pacific region, a total of 13 deficiencies were flagged during the June 15 inspection of Vox Maxima. Of these, three warranted the detention of the dredging vessel, which means they were serious enough to require fixing before the ship could be allowed to leave the port.
The three deficiencies were related to fire safety, lifeboats aboard the vessel, and the International Safety Management Code, which provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships."
Some enter sea at East Coast Park despite advisories after oil spill; doctors warn of health risks
Elise Wong Straits Times 6 Jul 2024
Oil booms around Coney Island, Chek Jawa removed; Changi beach reopens for water activities
Elaine Lee Straits Times 6 Jul 2024
SOPs, response times: S’pore’s efforts in dealing with oil spill scrutinised in the House
Kenneth Cheng Straits Times 4 Jul 2024
The oil spill was raised in Parliament on 2 Jul.
Sensitive habitats in Labrador, on Sentosa and Southern Islands affected by oil slicks: Desmond Lee Shabana Begum Straits Times 3 Jul 2024
Businesses affected by Singapore oil spill may get help with rent
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu acknowledged the frustration and inconvenience that affected businesses have experienced.
Channel NewsAsia 2 Jul 2024.
Marina at Keppel Bay reopens after two-week closure following oil spill
Elise Wong Straits Times 29 Jun 2024
ST Explains: Why does stationary vessel have to shoulder claims for recent oil spill?
Esther Loi Straits Times 30 Jun 2024
Special equipment deployed at East Coast Park for next phase of oil spill cleanup
Lee Li Ying Straits Times 28 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Seaside businesses dread 3-month closures, some struggling to stay afloat
One water sports company says it has already racked up a five-figure loss, and is hoping for government financial assistance.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 27 Jun 2024
ST Interactive Oil spill in Singapore: The day the sea turned black
Straits Times 25 Jun 2024
Timeline of Singapore's oil spill: When response teams mobilised, booms deployed
Firdaus Hamzah Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 2024
Action plan to protect and restore coastal habitats after oil spill in the works: Desmond Lee
Lee Li Ying Straits Times 24 Jun 2024
Removal of oil from seas, beaches nearly completed; cleanup of spill enters next phase
Lee Li Ying Straits Times 24 Jun 2024
Oil spill clean-up to take around 3 months before affected beaches progressively reopen: Grace Fu
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 2024
Booms around damaged vessel ‘preventive’, not meant to fence in spilt oil: Chee Hong Tat
Esther Looi Straits Times 24 Jun 2024
Government agencies have done well in oil spill clean-up, SOPs effective: Chee Hong Tat
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also addressed questions on why containment booms were not pre-emptively deployed at beaches.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 2024
Malaysia govt will consider demands of Johor fishermen affected by oil spill
Straits Times 23 Jun 2024
Oil spill clean-up: 'Good progress' at Sentosa beaches; more than 140,000kg of oil-soaked sand removed
The Siloso Beach shoreline is "largely cleaned now", says Sentosa.
Ng Hong Siang Channel NewsAsia 23 Jun 2024
Coral bleaching in S’pore’s shallow areas rises to 40%, scientists on alert for impacts from oil spill
Shabana Begum Straits Times 23 Jun 2024
S’pore oil spill: Poor weather delayed laying of booms around damaged ship, says contractor
Therese Soh Straits Times 22 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - Working in a thunderstorm at night, an oil spill recovery contractor required more than triple the time it would normally take to lay containment booms around a damaged vessel that was leaking oil into the sea. In all, it took around 10 hours or more from the time of the incident till laying that first line of defence was completed.
Laying the booms alone took three or four hours, where it would have taken one hour under better conditions, said Captain Anuj Sahai, managing director of T&T Salvage Asia.
His company was engaged by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) after the Netherlands-flagged Vox Maxima reportedly lost engine and steering control and hit Singapore-flagged bunker Marine Honour at 2.18pm on June 14. About 400 tonnes of oil from the vessel leaked into the sea.
Captain Sahai said he was alerted to the incident at around 3.30pm that day.
Within half an hour, his team began mobilising three or four truckloads of gear from its warehouse in Tuas for the operation, he said.
“There was a lot of equipment and gear going out of the yard. It took about three hours to put all the gear onto the trucks and send it across to the Marina South Pier, which took another hour,” said Captain Sahai.
The pier had the crane required to load the booms onto vessels that brought them to the affected site, he added.
“Once we were alongside the Marine Honour, it took about three or four hours to lay the booms because it was night-time and the weather was not so good,” he said.
The crew laid 200m of booms, with each 3m section weighing more than 100kg when inflated, around the vessel anchored at Pasir Panjang Western Anchorage.
The workers’ speed was impeded by strong winds and poor visibility in heavy rain, as they had to take precautions not to fall.
Under ideal weather conditions, deploying 200m of booms takes about an hour from the time the response vessel reaches an affected site until the booms are positioned and secured, Captain Sahai said. Stronger and sturdier booms take longer to deploy, and stronger currents can slow boats and delay the process.
They finished past midnight, although he said he does not know exactly when as he was not watching the time.
T&T also laid booms at sites in Keppel Marina and Sentosa Cove on June 15, as well as an additional layer of fence booms around the Marine Honour and a third line of curtain booms over the next few days.
On June 20, the authorities said that 3.4km of booms had been deployed since June 14 across affected sites to contain the spill. Besides T&T, other contractors were also engaged to deploy the booms.
MPA took reporters to observe workers from T&T lay an additional 200m of black curtain booms at Siloso Beach in Sentosa on June 21, to supplement the red fence booms installed earlier.
Types of containment booms
Containment booms are floating devices that create a barrier to limit the spread of oil on the water’s surface during a spillage, so that it can be removed by skimmer machines.
There are various kinds of booms. Fence booms are smaller and lighter, and faster to deploy, but are less effective at containing oil. They are effective as a first response to swiftly and immediately contain spills, but less effective in high tides or strong currents that can carry oil over booms.
Curtain booms take longer to lay as they are bigger and heavier, but are more effective at containing spills as they are taller and have a 1m underwater curtain to block oil from moving across. Deploying them takes double the manpower and time as they must be inflated, unlike fence booms which have foam inside, Captain Sahai said.
Absorbent booms, made from materials that absorb oil, are placed at the ends of lines of booms to plug gaps that oil can flow through.
How booms are deployed
Before getting to the job, workers are given a safety briefing by the team supervisor on board the T&T Salvage response vessel, said Captain Sahai.
Workers on the deck check the line of booms for damage as it is unreeled.
The booms are then placed in the water, and a smaller boat with around four workers tows one end of the line to position it. Both ends of the line are anchored to the seabed or fastened to a secure structure like a rock.
The booms are monitored round the clock by a maintenance team that repairs them immediately if damage is detected, Captain Sahai added.
Limitations of containment booms
Despite efforts to ringfence the Marine Honour and disperse the slick, the oil spill had spread by the next day to the coastlines of East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Keppel Bay, the Southern Islands and Sentosa, and the waters off Changi on June 17.
MPA set up containment booms in these areas and deployed equipment to skim oil off the water surface.
In a Facebook post on June 18, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said that booms may not completely prevent the oil spill from spreading as tidal currents and waves can carry the oil, which may go above or below the booms.
Another limitation of containment booms is that once they are installed in a specific area, their weight makes it difficult to relocate them to another site affected by the oil slick, even after the initial zone is cleaned up, said Captain Sahai.
Repairing snapped booms, treating oil-slicked sand: Oil spill clean-up efforts continue a week on
CNA observes how containment booms are laid and what it takes to treat the toxic oil-soaked sand collected from affected beaches.
Fabian Koh and Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 21 Jun 2024 (Original article has lots of photos)
SINGAPORE: A week after 400 tonnes of oil spilled into Singapore's waters, there is still work to be done to mop up - at sea and on land.
Containment booms off Sentosa have had to be repaired and reinforced after turbulent weather caused some of them to snap.
One clean-up company brought in additional manpower from abroad to beef up its operations. Plus, the toxic oil-soaked sand collected from the affected beaches has to be carefully processed at a treatment plant.
The spillage occurred on the afternoon of Jun 14 after a Netherlands-flagged dredger hit a stationary bunker vessel, causing oil from the latter's damaged cargo tank to spill into the water.
That evening, containment booms were deployed by T&T Salvage Asia to block off the entrances at the lagoons of Sentosa’s beaches.
Those red-coloured rigid booms which were first set up are easier and faster to deploy, the firm's managing director Captain Anuj Sahai explained on Friday (Jun 21). However, they are not as strong and effective as the more heavy-duty booms which have since been in place.
CNA observed a team from T&T Salvage Asia at work on Friday, laying a 200m-long black-coloured containment boom along the external coastline of Siloso Beach.
“It was bad weather, very strong thundery showers early in the morning. So one or two booms snapped, but it was immediately taken care of,” Capt Anuj said, noting that the larger boom was being deployed only as a precaution.
Some extent of damage such as wear-and-tear is natural and already factored in as considerations when deploying booms, he explained.
The new boom is made up of 3m-long segments that have to be completely inflated with air so it can float on the water. It is heavy and requires more manpower and coordination to deploy, said Capt Anuj.
“These are bigger booms. They are much more sturdy and stronger. They will last much longer. But takes also a little bit more time to deploy as well,” he added.
Each 3m segment weighs about 100kg when completely inflated. It is launched off a boat and towed into position by a smaller raft that can move faster and get closer to the shore.
T&T Salvage Asia has deployed about 85 people for its clean-up operation. About 20 of them were brought in from abroad “because this was a massive spill and there were so many locations to look at”, said Capt Anuj.
The crew members are from Singapore, the Philippines, India, Ecuador and Argentina, he said. Three teams work around the clock.
“Everybody has about 10 to 15 years of solid experience. They know exactly what needs to be done. They don't need to be taught,” said Capt Anuj, who has been in the oil spill response sector for about 20 years.
He added that physical fitness is a crucial aspect of the job, and that the risk of injury is very real.
In Singapore where the current and tides are strong, it can be difficult to maintain the boat's position during deployment operations, he noted.
Capt Anuj's firm is in charge of the stretch between Labrador Park and Sentosa Cove, along with islands further south like St John’s Island. It has laid out about 2.5km of booms so far.
“The effect of wind and weather is quite strong over here, especially when you're close to Sentosa. So we have to take a lot of precautions for that,” he said.
There are different considerations for each location. At Sentosa, for instance, the venue of the Wings of Time show was a factor.
“It has a lot of protruding structures (and) steel structures, so they might puncture these kinds of booms. So then we immediately have to go and then supplement with reinforcements,” explained Capt Anuj.
HOW OIL-SOAKED SAND IS TREATED
CNA was also invited to observe how oil-soaked sand collected from the beaches of East Coast Park and Sentosa is being treated.
After sand is bagged by cleaners at the beaches, it is transported to a treatment plant operated by Mencast Offshore and Marine at Penjuru Road in Jurong to be rid of oil.
Workers unload the oil-soaked sand at a sheltered solid waste storage area, which has a 300- to 400-tonne capacity.
Oil-soaked sand, soil and debris such as planks of wood, branches, plastic bottles and plastic bags from East Coast Park and Sentosa are unloaded there.
Ms Irni Masnita Mohamed Anis, the sales and business development manager at Mencast, said that since Tuesday, 10 trucks of waste have arrived at the facility - eight from East Coast Park and two from Sentosa - with about 140 tonnes of sand and debris brought in from both locations.
To protect themselves from the toxic fumes from the oil, workers wear heavy-duty gas respirator masks while removing the sand from plastic bags in the storage area.
An excavator then scoops up the sand and dumps it into a large machine called a crusher.
That is where the soil clumps will be crushed and then sieved to remove foreign materials like plastics. The sifted sand will then be brought to a heating drum via a conveyor belt. It will be heated at 550 to 600 degrees Celsius for about 30 to 45 minutes.
“Due to the heat, it removes the oil,” said Ms Irni.
Typically, unprocessed sand has about 2 to 5 per cent of oil, but the treated sand is tested to have just 0.1 per cent of oil content.
The facility has been treating the sand since Thursday, and so far, about 10 to 12 tonnes of sand has been treated.
The treated sand will then be assessed for future use such as fillers in sandbags, or potentially mixed in concrete.
“All these (recovery options) come with analysis and tests which have not been finalised yet,” said Ms Irni, adding that discussions will be held with the owners of the sand as to what they prefer to do with the waste.
She did not disclose how much the sand treatment would cost, but said that clients will be charged “market rates”.
The oil that is removed from the sand is also recycled and sold to Mencast’s clients as recovery oil, typically after it is reblended with Mencast’s current existing oil.
Asked why the option of disposing of the oil-soaked sand was not considered, Ms Irni said there could be harm to the environment if it were just disposed of carelessly.
“Anything that is contaminated with oil is toxic and needs to be treated in a proper manner,” she said.
ST Explains: What happens to oil-soaked sand after it is removed from S’pore’s coastline
Elise Wong Straits Times 22 Jun 2024 (Original article has photos of each step)
SINGAPORE – Oil-soaked sand removed from Singapore’s beaches following the June 14 oil spill is being treated and may be used to fill sandbags for flood control, said a representative from one of the several waste companies appointed to treat the oily sand.
Ms Irni Masnita Mohamed Anis, sales and business development manager at Mencast Offshore and Marine, said tests will be done on the treated sand to assess its safety, but the final decision on what the sand will be used for depends on its owner.
The sand treated by Mencast is from East Coast Park and Sentosa’s Siloso, Tanjong and Palawan beaches.
It is not clear what will happen to treated sand that does not pass inspections.
Ms Irni was speaking to The Straits Times on June 21, during a media visit facilitated by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to a treatment facility.
She said that the oil content in sand contaminated from the recent spill ranges from 2 to 5 per cent.
For the sand to be considered successfully treated, the oil content has to drop to about 0.1 per cent.
Treated sand, despite being safe to touch, may still appear to be stained black.
Ms Irni said it cannot be restored to its original white colouration.
So far, about 140 tonnes of oil-soaked sand have been collected by Mencast, she said.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in a Facebook post on June 20 that over 71,000kg of sand were scooped up from Sentosa’s beaches alone.
On June 14, the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal, which resulted in a 400-tonne oil spill that has since tarred the beaches of Singapore and Malaysia.
Treating oil-soaked sand
Intensive cleanup efforts have been under way, though eliminating all traces of the low-sulphur oil spilled may prove to be a long-term undertaking.
Despite a week of cleanup efforts, the foreshore in East Coast Park remains marred by streaks of oil on June 20.
To clean up a contaminated beach, workers don personal protective equipment, including safety boots, N95 masks and gloves, and work in pairs to shovel oil-soaked sand into black trash bags.
It is back-breaking work, with each person handling dozens of bags weighing approximately 4kg each, all under the hot sun.
To quicken the process, larger piles of sand are dug up using excavators, to be bagged later.
Once sufficient bags of oil-soaked sand have been collected, they are put into a wheel loader – a four-wheel machine designed for lifting – and then transferred into a skid tank.
The tank, which is attached to a hook lift truck, allows for waste to be transported to toxic industrial waste facilities such as Mencast.
Ms Irni said treatment efforts at the Mencast plant began on June 20.
The skid tanks were deployed to beaches on June 17, and have since been depositing the collected sand at the plant.
Oil-soaked sand, first bagged by NEA-appointed contractors at the various beaches, must be “unbagged” manually at the Mencast facility before the start of the treatment process.
Workers wearing gloves, goggles and work boots must physically cut through such bags to feed the contaminated sand through the facility’s treatment systems.
Large plastic and wood sediments are also removed during this process to be incinerated.
As at June 21, about 30 per cent of Mencast’s workforce comprising about 60 people have been allocated specifically to waste processing efforts following the oil spill.
Sand samples are also taken to the laboratory for contaminant testing to determine the required treatment temperature and duration.
The contaminated sand is then transferred to a shaker system, which filters out coarser debris such as rocks and plastic shards from the sand to be compressed.
This is so that the particles are the same size as the sand grains, to ensure that all the oil can be effectively vaporised during treatment.
The oil-soaked sand is then sent to be heat-treated.
To date, about 12 tonnes of contaminated sand have been processed through the facility’s anaerobic thermal desorption unit (ATDU).
Here, oil-soaked sand is heated in a rotating drum at approximately 600 deg C, turning contaminants such as oil into vapour after about 45 minutes.
The ATDU system can treat up to 60 tonnes of sand a day.
Treated sand is then stored and tested for further contaminants.
Mencast reports that for sand which has about 2 to 5 per cent oil content, the treatment will bring the oil content down to about 0.1 per cent.
It said the treated sand will be assessed for future potential use, such as for filling sandbags for flood control.
It is, however, dependent on “analysis and tests which have not been finalised yet”, in addition to discussions with owners of the sand as to what should be done with the treated sand, it added.
Oil retrieved from the shore may also be recycled and blended with Mencast’s existing resources as “recovery oil”, which is sold to oil traders.
Still, the treatment of oil-soaked sand is essential, regardless of its final outcome.
If disposed of without proper treatment, oil-soaked sand remains harmful to the environment.
“That’s why we are here.
“Anything that is contaminated (with oil) is toxic, and has to be treated in a proper manner,” Ms Irni said.
Malaysia’s Johor starts coastal cleanup following reported spread from Singapore oil spill
State officials say they have activated coastal patrols and are monitoring activities following news of oil pollution on local beaches.
Channel NewsAsia 21 Jun 2024
Cleanup under way at two Johor beaches blackened by Singapore oil spill
Sarah Koh Straits Times 21 Jun 2024
N95 masks, gloves, shovels: How beaches at East Coast Park are cleaned up after an oil spill
About 100 workers are deployed daily to East Coast Park to clean up beaches affected by the oil spill.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
TLDR: lots of photos with some details of how oiled sand is removed by hand and moved to lorries. When the lorry is filled with bags, it will be driven to a licensed toxic industrial waste company for proper treatment.
Oil spill clean-up: Singapore to seek compensation from owner of stationary ship that was hit by another vessel
After the clean-up operation, Singapore will seek compensation for the "cost of all measures taken to contain and clean up the spill", said the Maritime and Port Authority.
Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
TLDR: According to international law, the shipowner of Marine Honour is liable for costs incurred, and the shipowner has insurance coverage to meet the liability. "The spirit of the 'polluter pays' principle simplifies the claims process by having a clear party against which to pursue claims without potential complications of proving fault," said MPA. This includes expenses that Singapore government agencies are incurring such as clean-up costs at sea and on shore. British Marine, the insurer of Marine Honour, has set up a contact for third-party claims by those affected.
Oil spill: Several beaches, including East Coast Park and Sentosa's Siloso, mostly cleared of oil
"We have made progress in the clean-up, but it will still take some time before the oil will be completely removed," says Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
Rachel Chan Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Beaches at several southern islands, most of ECP and Tanah Merah cleared of oil
Ang Qing Straits Times 20 Jun 2024
Perimeters lined with tarps, water quality checks: Singapore fish farms take precautions against oil spill
Blue tarps line the perimeter of a two-hectare floating fish farm off Changi, as a precaution against the oil spill that has struck parts of Singapore’s coastline.
Fabian Koh Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 2024
Oil spill: After 2 kingfishers die, race against time to clean beaches for nesting turtles
A pair of kingfishers rescued from the oil spill around Singapore's shores are still fighting for their lives.
Davina Tham Channel NewsAsia 19 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE: Clean-up crews mopping up the oil spill around Singapore's shores are racing against time to limit the impact on wildlife after rescue efforts failed for two oil-drenched kingfishers.
This is because the beach at East Coast Park is a nesting site for critically endangered hawksbill turtles and vulnerable coastal horseshoe crabs, said Mr Lester Tan, chair of Nature Society (Singapore)'s Marine Conservation Group.
A stretch of the beach at East Coast Park, from areas B to H, has been closed until further notice as crews work to recover the oil still trapped at the shoreline.
"If they can finish cleaning up that part before the nesting turtles come up on shore on the next spring tide, which is just a couple of days later, I think we're on the safe side," Mr Tan told CNA on Wednesday (Jun 19).
Otherwise, nesting turtles and crabs may have to pass through the oil slick to reach the beach, he said.
Spring tides are tides with the highest high tides and lowest low tides. They occur when there is a full moon or during a new moon, according to the National Environment Agency.
This month's full moon, known as a Strawberry Moon, is expected to rise around Jun 22 in Singapore.
Mr Stephen Beng, chair of the Friends of Marine Park community, said exposure to oil can impair the fitness and reproductive ability of sea turtles.
"As air breathers, sea turtles can ingest oil which blocks airways, fills stomachs, damages tissues and organs," he said.
"Oiled beaches can kill the eggs or cause developmental defects for hatchlings – it's also another obstacle for them in the gauntlet they must already go through at birth."
Oil contamination of wildlife habitats is critical during the nesting season for sea turtles on the eastern coast and Southern Islands, agreed Mr Oliver Chang, lecturer in veterinary technology at Temasek Polytechnic's School of Applied Science.
Aside from East Coast Park, beaches at St John's, Lazarus and Kusu islands have been closed since Jun 16 after oil slicks were seen at the first two islands.
Over at the Sisters' Islands, if there is any oil slick when the spring tide comes, then the oil may come into contact with corals there, said the Nature Society's Mr Tan.
Sisters' Islands Marine Park protects coral reefs and a coral nursery. As of the evening of Jun 17, there were no signs of oil slick in the park, with oil sheen seen in the surrounding waters.
The oil spill happened after a dredger hit a stationary bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal on Jun 14, damaging an oil cargo tank on the bunker vessel, which released about 400 metric tonnes of fuel into the sea.
Oil slicks have also been spotted at the beaches of Sentosa island, Labrador Nature Reserve and Marina South Pier. Some oil was also seen off the coast of Changi.
Close to 1,500m of containment booms have been deployed to contain further spread of the oil, with another 1,600m to be deployed over the coming days.
Mr Tan noted that dispersants were also sprayed on the oil spill after the two vessels hit. Dispersants contain some toxins but little is known about how they could affect wildlife and feeding grounds, he said.
Temasek Polytechnic's Mr Chang said that oil will disperse over time but its lingering presence can continue to impact marine ecosystem.
"Dispersed oil particles may settle on the seabed, potentially smothering sensitive habitats like coral reefs or seagrass beds. Certain oil compounds can persist for years, posing ongoing risks to wildlife through bioaccumulation in the food chain," he said.
TWO KINGFISHERS IN TREATMENT
At least four kingfishers have been retrieved so far from the oil spill in Singapore's waters.
The National Parks Board (NParks) and wildlife group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) were each treating two collared kingfishers.
Two of the birds – one with NParks and the other with ACRES – have died.
NParks group director Dr Anna Wong said its two kingfishers were treated at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation.
The birds were given fluids and pain relief, and their mouth, eyes and nasal areas were cleaned of oil. After reaching a stable state, they were hand fed and slowly washed with detergent and warm water.
"The survival rate for these birds is low even with prompt veterinary intervention due to stress and accidental ingestion of the oil which is toxic to them," she said.
ACRES co-CEO Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan said the group's first kingfisher was found on Jun 15 at Keppel on the mainland, and the second on Jun 17 at Lazarus Island.
They were retrieved by members of the public and then passed to ACRES.
The first kingfisher died within 36 hours of being found. A post-mortem found liver issues that could have been caused by toxins from oil ingestion, and signs of dehydration, said Mr Kalai.
He pegged the second kingfisher's chances of survival at about 30 per cent. The bird has been cleaned five times as of Wednesday afternoon to remove oil from its feathers and inside its mouth.
As this process causes birds stress that may become fatal, the cleaning is limited to about 15 minutes each time, said Mr Kalai.
But there is still a lot of oil on the kingfisher from Lazarus, and he expects the bird will need to be cleaned another four times.
MONTHS TO RETURN TO THE WILD
Mr Kalai also cautioned members of the public against attempting to clean oil-covered birds by themselves.
Cleaning is a difficult process as bird feathers are porous and oil can become embedded in feather follicles, he said.
The birds will be stressed and unable to regulate their body temperature as they are covered in oil. They are also likely to be dehydrated as they may have been stranded for several hours.
"If you just take the bird and just start washing off the oil, the bird is almost guaranteed to die," he said.
Even after the oil has been cleaned from the bird, it could be months before they are released back into the wild.
The feathers of aquatic birds like kingfishers have a natural oil coating that makes them waterproof. This allows them to fly even after diving into water, explained Mr Kalai.
But this waterproof coating gets washed off in the process of removing the fuel oil, and could take months to be restored.
Mr Kalai said birds rescued from glue traps represent "a similar type of nightmare", and that a previous rescue took up to 10 months to be released.
During those months, rescue and rehabilitation officers must not just care for the bird but also make sure it does not imprint onto humans, so that it can return to the wild, he added.
Nature Society's Mr Tan also spotted two oil-stained birds – a Pacific reef heron and a purple heron – around Marina East Drive in East Coast Park on the morning of Jun 16.
The birds could still fly, so it was difficult to get close to them and track them or help them, he said.
Asked whether there could be more wildlife affected by the oil spill than has been sighted or reported so far, Mr Tan said this could be the case.
But he did not expect more oil-slicked wildlife to be found. "Unfortunately, I think whichever (animals) were stained in the oil spill or probably drenched in the oil spill would have perished by now."
Temasek Polytechnic's Mr Chang said continuous monitoring was needed, with methods like regular aerial surveys of tagged seabird populations to assess their distribution and biological sampling of fish tissues and bird feathers to measure contamination levels.
Dr Wong said NParks will continue to closely track the immediate impact of the oil spill on Singapore's marine habitats, including corals and wildlife.
"Biodiversity surveys conducted by the scientists as well as volunteers from Friends of Marine Park at St John's Island and Lazarus Island on Jun 16 had indicated no significant impact on the marine biodiversity there," she said.
NParks will assess if habitat restoration efforts are needed, and also explore activating volunteers for post clean-up intertidal surveys, Dr Wong added.
She also advised those who encounter any oil-slicked animal to contact the Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600.
Oil spill incident: Time needed to assess full extent of environmental impact, says Desmond Lee
Elise Wong Straits Times 19 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE – The impact of the June 14 oil spill is wide-reaching and still unfolding, and time will be needed for the authorities to assess the full extent of its environmental impact, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
“We will then have to embark on recovery and restoration work,” he added.
Mr Lee was giving an update on the oil spill on June 19 at the launch of a conference on horseshoe crabs – marine creatures native to Singapore – hosted by the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) at Resorts World Convention Centre on Sentosa.
NSS partnered the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s horseshoe crab specialist group for the event.
Mr Lee’s update comes after The Straits Times reported on June 18 that four oil-coated collared kingfishers had been rescued following the oil spill, and two have died. Members of the public have also spotted other oil-covered animals along coastlines, including otters and monitor lizards.
The minister said government agencies in Singapore have responded quickly and have been working closely together to coordinate efforts to clean up and mitigate the immediate impact of the spill on the nation’s coastal and marine environment.
For instance, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore deployed its nearest patrol craft to the incident site within 11 minutes of being alerted, and sprayed dispersants on the spill after assessing the situation.
At the same time, non-governmental organisations such as the Singapore Veterinary Association, the Singapore Canoe Federation and the World Wide Fund for Nature (Singapore) have stepped up to offer help, Mr Lee said.
There has also been an outpouring of support from individuals, with more than 1,500 people signing up to volunteer to assist in the cleanup of the oil spill, he added.
In a Facebook post on June 16, he had urged individuals interested in helping with cleanup efforts to sign up via an online form.
“I am grateful for the strong support from the community,” he said. But he noted that, as the safety of the volunteers was paramount, they will not be deployed for beach cleanup.
“We understand that many want to pitch in and help... We may seek volunteers’ help to carry out post-impact habitat and biodiversity surveys, as well as habitat restoration efforts,” Mr Lee said.
On June 16, the National Parks Board coordinated a biodiversity survey with volunteers and the Friends of Marine Park – a volunteer network that includes marine scientists, boaters and ocean-dependent business owners – to assess the oil spill’s impact and monitor wildlife in need of rescue.
No significant wildlife casualties were observed in the oil-slicked areas of St John’s and Lazarus islands during the survey, but conservationists say they are on alert for longer-term ramifications for nature, as it could take time for the impact of oil spills to manifest.
Mr Lee said that an additional 160 volunteers have been activated to assist with patrols and monitoring efforts at East Coast Park and West Coast Park.
The oil spill on June 14 occurred after the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour.
The incident caused the damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour to leak low-sulphur fuel into the sea, resulting in oil slicks observed at coastlines, including Sentosa island, the Southern Islands and Changi.
Speaking to ST on the sidelines of the horseshoe crab conference, chair of the NSS’ marine conservation group Lester Tan said the spilled oil was a low-sulphur fuel that is more refined and less viscous than crude oil.
But it can still be detrimental to coastal and marine life, including two species of horseshoe crabs that are native to Singapore, he noted.
The mangrove and coastal horseshoe crabs are two of four species of horseshoe crabs globally.
By foraging on the seafloor for food, horseshoe crabs help to release nutrients in the sediment for other creatures. They also serve as a vital food source for migratory birds.
Mr Tan highlighted that the coastal horseshoe crab, which is an endangered species, has been spotted at intertidal areas in East Coast Park, one of the areas affected by the oil spill.
The mangrove horseshoe crab can be found in places such as the Kranji and Mandai mangroves and mudflats, which are currently oil-free.
Hence, the hope is that the oil-slicked beaches at East Coast can be cleared before this weekend, he added. “If the beach is not cleaned soon and the coastal horseshoe crab comes into contact with the oil, then it can be lethal and toxic,” Mr Tan said.
Apart from pollution, horseshoe crab populations around the world face other threats from human activity. A major driver of the decline of horseshoe crabs is the biomedical industry’s demand for their blue-tinged blood.
Horseshoe crab blood contains a clotting enzyme that is crucial for bacterial testing in drugs and medical devices. News site Politico reported in January 2021 that horseshoe crab blood was used in the testing of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.
According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, 718,809 horseshoe crabs were collected – to be harvested for their blood and released alive – along the United States’ Atlantic coast for biomedical purposes in 2021. About 15 per cent of the horseshoe crabs died during the process.
Researchers in Singapore are conducting research that could help in the conservation of the unique creatures, often referred to as living fossils, given their unchanged appearance over millions of years.
Mr Lee cited the work led by National University of Singapore scientists to develop a synthetic alternative, which is more stable and chemically consistent, to the clotting enzyme in horseshoe crabs’ blood.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Professor Ding Jeak Ling, the NUS professor co-leading the project, said that she expects approval for the synthetic compound to be used as a compendial test – a standard method of assessment – for bacterial endotoxins by the year end.
If successful, the compound would eliminate the necessity of harvesting horseshoe crabs’ blood. “The only thing now is that habitat needs to be improved,” she said.
The fifth International Workshop on the Science and Conservation of Horseshoe Crabs will conclude on June 23. Over the next few days, experts will delve into discussions on horseshoe crab biology, conservation and public education, alongside developing a conservation action plan for Asian horseshoe crabs.
CNA Explains: What we know about the Singapore oil spill that's affected Sentosa and other beaches
About 400 tonnes of fuel were released into the sea on Friday. An accident over two decades ago involved 7,000 tonnes - but that wasn't Singapore's largest oil spill ever.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 19 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE: An oil spill on Friday (June 14) has led to beaches around Singapore being closed. Clean-up efforts are still underway, with slicks also spreading to the Southern Islands tourist attractions and sighted as far east as the Changi area.
What happened?
The spill was sparked by Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima hitting Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal at about 2.20pm on Friday.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Vox Maxima reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before its allision with Marine Honour - referring to when a moving vessel hits a stationary object.
This ruptured one of Marine Honour’s oil cargo tanks, releasing about 400 tonnes of low-sulphur fuel into the sea.
The incident was not caused by port congestion, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat on Tuesday as he gave a brief timeline of events.
How widespread is the spill?
On Saturday, oil washed up along several beaches including at Sentosa island and East Coast Park, as well as the shoreline at Labrador Nature Reserve.
The next day, beaches at St John's, Lazarus and Kusu islands were closed. Oil slicks were also spotted at Marina South Pier.
On Monday, some oil was seen off the coast of Changi.
How does it compare to other oil spills in the past?
A 1999 Oil Spill Intelligence Report said the Singapore Strait was considered one of the world’s hot spots given its reputation as one of the busiest sea lanes globally.
The largest oil spill in Singapore happened in 1997, when two tankers collided about 5km south of a Singapore Port Limit. About 28,000 tonnes of oil were spilled - 70 times that of Friday's incident.
Emergency aid from the Japanese government was sought to help contain the spill, which damaged mangrove forests and coral reefs in the vicinity of Raffles Lighthouse.
Waters west of Singapore were covered with greasy patches, with oil also washing up on Pulau Sebarok and Pulau Hantu islands.
In 2000, about 7,000 tonnes of crude oil were spilled when a vessel ran aground just 8km from Sentosa. The oil washed up on the beaches of Sentosa, St John’s Island and Lazarus Island.
A decade later, a tanker collided with a bulk carrier about 13km from Changi’s shore, spilling about 2,500 tonnes of crude oil into the waters.
And 10 years ago, three separate ship allisions occurred in two months, spilling a total of 760 tonnes of fuel oil into Singapore's waters and polluting the beaches off Kusu and St John’s islands.
How is it being cleaned up?
On Saturday, 18 response craft were deployed to contain and clean up the spill.
About 100 workers were deployed the next day to help clean up Sentosa's beaches, with vacuum pumps also used to remove surface oil.
On Tuesday, authorities said close to 1,500m of containment booms have been deployed since Friday at Keppel Marina, East Coast Park and Labrador Nature Reserve to prevent further spread of oil onto the shore.
Another 1,600m of these booms, which are temporary floating barriers, will be deployed over the next few days in areas such as Sentosa and the Southern Islands.
The booms will also help prevent the oil from going back out to sea.
Oil-absorbent booms have also been deployed off biodiversity-sensitive areas such as Pulau Ubin's Chek Jawa Wetlands, Coney Island Park, Pasir Ris Park and West Coast Park.
Over the next few days, more booms will be deployed to protect fish farms at the East Johor Straits and also Chek Jawa Wetlands and Changi Creek.
Other measures include a specialised oil floating containment and recovery device called a Current Buster, which has been deployed off Changi Exhibition Centre as a pre-emptive measure. Two such systems have also been deployed off Labrador Nature Reserve and Bedok Jetty.
Each Current Buster system consists of a floating barrier sitting on the water’s surface, with a submerged extension called a skirt that extends below the surface to corral and collect the oil.
Two sets of skimmer systems have also been deployed at Marina South Pier and off East Coast Lagoon. These include craft-towed booms to corral surface oil and a component to skim and “lift” oil off the water surface and into storage tanks.
MPA has also deployed drones to surveil affected areas.
What's the impact?
The Singapore Food Agency said on Monday that local fish remain safe to eat, and that there was a “low risk” of the oil spill spreading to farms.
National water agency PUB also said that Singapore’s water supply has not been affected.
But yacht companies and water sports businesses have told CNA that they had to put their tours and rentals on hold over the long weekend, racking up thousands in lost earnings.
MPA on Sunday said it was working with British Marine, the insurer of the stationary Marine Honour tanker, to set up a third-party claims contact for affected parties.
CNA has contacted MPA for more information.
Meanwhile, marine biologist Toh Tai Chong told CNA that organisms living on or near the water's surface such as sea birds, mangrove forests and corals could be smothered by the oil slick and end up ingesting chemicals.
Dr Toh, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and also co-founder of non-profit organisation Our Singapore Reefs, warned that the impact of the pollution could be felt for months to come.
For instance, with their movements restricted, birds cannot hunt for prey or evade predators well.
Various toxins from the oil can also impact the reproduction of corals.
If oil seeps into the soil at beaches, it will not be easy to eradicate, as was the case in the 2010 spill off Changi. Such oil can be ingested by organisms such as clams and worms, and in turn poison their predators.
“Nature will naturally recover ... Oil will disperse over time," said Dr Toh. "But it depends on how fast the response is, and the scale of the impact.”
He advised against fishing and foraging for marine wildlife in the medium-term.
“Try not to harvest (wildlife) and consume them in the coming three months, especially for filter feeders like clams," he said. "They tend to accumulate more of the toxins."
Booms, busters and dispersants: Here’s how an oil spill is cleaned up in S’pore waters
Esther Loi Straits Times 18 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE – Efforts to clean up the oil spill are still under way, after the authorities expanded containment efforts to more areas on June 17.
Caused by an incident where the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour on June 14, the spill has stained coastlines at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Keppel Bay, the Southern Islands and Sentosa.
Preventive measures have been set up off Changi East, as well as biodiversity-sensitive areas at the Chek Jawa Wetlands in Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park.
The Straits Times takes a closer look at the cleanup efforts.
Q: What happened in the immediate aftermath of the spill?
Following the incident between the vessels, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) “immediately deployed” its nearest patrol craft – assigned to patrol Singapore’s waters 24/7 – to the incident site, and sprayed dispersants on the spill after assessing the situation.
Dispersants are chemicals that break up oil into smaller droplets, which can be mixed with water.
Captain Chong Jia Chyuan, port master with MPA, said all its response crafts were activated to spray dispersants on the spill during the optimal “window of opportunity” for the oil to react with the dispersant. He did not specify how long the “window of opportunity” lasted.
He added that the authority also activated its oil spill response contractor to collect the oil at sea and set up booms around the two affected vessels. These booms refer to containment booms, which are floating devices that create a barrier to trap oil. Once oil is contained, oil skimmer machines help collect the oil from the water surface.
“Our first priority was to ensure the safety of the vessels and to immediately stop the oil from further leaking into the sea,” Capt Chong said. He said the crew immediately isolated the damaged tank on the Marine Honour by transferring the remaining oil from the damaged cargo tank to the vessel’s other tanks.
No more oil escaped into the sea on the evening of June 14, he noted.
The captain and crew are still on board the Vox Maxima to assist with MPA’s investigation.
The Vox Maxima has since been towed further away from the incident site to allow port operations to resume.
Q: What were the next steps in the cleanup efforts?
Following the initial containment strategy in the immediate vicinity of the two vessels, Capt Chong said more booms for coastal protection purposes were laid near the coastlines while equipment was used to collect oil trapped there, starting from June 15, the day after the incident.
Due to rapid tidal movements, MPA chose to collect oil in certain areas first before activating booms to contain them in areas with natural constrictions or catchment areas.
Capt Chong said he does not have a timeline on when MPA’s investigation into the incident will be completed, as it is subject to the complexity of the incident and cooperation from relevant parties, including the captain and crew on Vox Maxima.
In response to further improvements to MPA’s recovery efforts for future oil spill incidents, he declined to comment as the incident is still under investigation, so the authority will have to first understand the cause of the spill.
Q: What equipment is needed to contain the spread of the spill?
Containment booms are used to create a barrier to trap oil.
Skimmers are then used to lift the oil off the water surface – around the containment booms – into storage tanks.
Separately, absorbent booms are used in biodiversity-sensitive areas as they can contain and absorb oil.
The Current Buster system, towed by two vessels, goes to affected areas to collect contaminated seawater and sieves oil out through a pump for skimmers to collect. It can collect up to 50 cubic m of oil at a time.
Drones that can travel up to about 60m above sea level, with a battery life of 25 minutes each, are used to direct Current Buster systems to affected areas, as they can capture clearer aerial views of the water surface. This is because there is a lot of reflection on the water surface when observed from a vessel.
MPA will deploy booms totalling 3.1km in length, three skimmers, three Current Buster systems, three drones and 18 oil spill response craft over the next few days.
Capt Chong could not provide the exact amount spent on cleanup efforts so far, as many agencies are involved in the operation and more time is needed to work out the figures for the manpower, logistics and craft involved.
Q: Why did the oil spill continue to spread, despite MPA’s quick response to the incident?
The authority said tidal movements were one of the reasons for the spread, as parts of the spill were carried onto the shore with the receding movement of the tides and out to sea.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on June 18 that booms may not completely prevent the spill from spreading, as some of it could be carried by tidal currents and waves, which may go above or below the booms.
A major oil spill incident in 1997, involving the collision of two oil tankers, led to a spill of 29,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, about 72 times the amount of oil leaked in the current incident.
However, the leak of the damaged cargo tank in 2024 led to a spill of low-sulphur fuel oil, which is less viscous or less resistant to movement compared with heavy fuel oil, which may explain the widespread movement of the oil spill this time.
Additionally, cleanup operations are more effective in the day when drones can be used to spot the spills, although MPA is still carrying out night operations.
When asked if MPA’s equipment quantity met international standards, Capt Chong said the authority does risk assessments to understand scenarios requiring the use of various equipment.
He noted that MPA has a salvage company – to provide solutions for damaged vessels – that provides standby resources to attend to different kinds of spills.
Capt Chong added that MPA will do regular review exercises to determine if its equipment is sufficient.
Tidal currents pose challenge to oil spill clean-up operations; drones, satellite imagery deployed to aid effort: MPA
The two vessels involved in the Jun 14 incident that led to the oil spill currently remain anchored in the Western Anchorage amid ongoing investigations.
Fabian Koh Channel NewsAsia 18 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE: Tackling the oil spill that has struck several parts of Singapore’s coastline has been a challenge due to the ever-changing tides, said a senior executive at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
The spillage had occurred on the afternoon of Jun 14 at Pasir Panjang Terminal, after Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, causing oil from the latter’s damaged cargo tank to spill into the water.
Speaking to the media during a visit to observe the agency’s clean-up efforts on Tuesday (Jun 18), Captain Chong Jia Chyuan, port master of MPA, said that following the incident, MPA immediately deployed its patrol craft to spray dispersants on the oil spill at the scene.
“Due to the current tides, some oil has landed on the southern coast of Singapore. Some of the challenges that we face is that the oil on sea is very mobile, it keeps moving due to the change of tidal currents,” he explained.
“The deployment of assets to collect this oil is a challenge. Hence, we use technologies such as drones and satellite images to keep track of the latest pictures of the movements of the oil.”
MPA had activated its oil spill response contractors in the aftermath, to collect the oil that had leaked out, and also deployed booms around the two vessels, said Capt Chong.
The two vessels currently remain anchored in the Western Anchorage amid ongoing investigations. The front of the Vox Maxima’s hull was observed to be black on Tuesday, coated in fuel oil from the Marine Honour, which has a gaping hole in its side from which 400 metric tonnes of fuel leaked into the sea.
[To this question on Minister Chee Hong Tat facebook post on 18 Jun: "which still had 400 metric tonnes of fuel oil in its tank" - so 400 metric tonnes left inside or 400 metric tonnes as per the other CNA article? "the Marine Honour, which has a gaping hole in its side from which 400 metric tonnes of fuel leaked into the sea".
Minister Chee replied "both figures are correct, as the total amount of oil originally in the bunker tanker was around 800 tonnes."]
Capt Chong said the immediate priority after the incident was to ensure that there were no further leaks into the sea from the damaged vessels, something which was achieved by Friday evening.
NEW ASSETS DEPLOYED
The MPA’s current arsenal of oil response assets deployed also includes Current Busters.
A Current Buster is a system that is designed to collect oil on the surface of the water. Towed by two vessels, it sweeps the water's surface, funneling the oil towards an area where it is contained.
“Each collection is about five tonnes, before the oil can be removed,” explained Capt Chong.
“This is an ongoing effort to ensure that the sea is clean, and also to support agencies’ shoreline cleaning efforts. Currently, we have about three current busters deployed to clean up the coastal waters.”
Three skimmers are also being used in catchment zones where the oil naturally accumulates. Half-floating on the water’s surface, skimmers lift the oil off the water surface into storage tanks, ensuring that it does not also collect too much sea water in the process.
To identify the ever-shifting oil slicks due to the changing tidal currents, MPA uses satellite imagery and, for the first time, drones.
The three drones are piloted from MPA patrol craft. They are more effective in the daytime, when visibility of the water’s surface is clearer.
“This is a continuous effort. We will carry out these operations 24/7, and also continue to monitor the operations on the ground,” said Capt Chong of the MPA’s overall efforts.
As of Tuesday, 18 response craft and some 1,500m of booms have been deployed to prevent any further spread of the oil and facilitate the clean-up.
Another 1,600m of booms will be laid over the next few days. They include containment booms floating on the surface of the sea, and absorbent booms which are placed preemptively at biodiversity-sensitive areas, such as Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park, as a precaution.
Capt Chong added that MPA has patrol craft out on the waters all the time, and when it received information about the Jun 14 incident, the nearest craft to the site was deployed to assess the situation.
“There’s a window of opportunity for the oil to react with the dispersant. So within that period, all our response crafts and patrol craft were all called to use dispersant to spray on those oil that spilled on the waters,” he said.
“Subsequently, when the window of opportunity is over, then the strategy is to contain and recover the oil.”
ARE CURRENT MEASURES ENOUGH?
When asked if the authorities’ current response to tackling the oil spill is adequate, Capt Chong said MPA conducts risk assessments to understand the various scenarios that could occur in Singapore and what assets are required in response.
It also has agreements with salvage companies to standby the necessary resources to attend to any oil spills of different scales that may occur, he said.
“So we monitor this closely and of course, we do our regular exercises. From there, we will review whether the procedures and the assets that we have are sufficient to attend to this kind of situation or even worse ones,” said Capt Chong.
As for the cost of the clean-up operations so far, Capt Chong said that there are many agencies involved and it would “take some time to work out with the underwriters and also collate all the figures” such as the assets deployed and all the manpower and logistics involved.
He added that the duration of investigations would depend on the complexity of the incident and how fast investigators can gather the necessary information from the relevant parties.
Mr Stephen Beng, chairman of the Friends of the Marine Park Community, noted that when the news of the oil spill broke, people’s instinctive reaction on social media was typically to question “what can I do, can I go and help clean up the oil, can I go and see what animals need to be saved”.
He urged those who intend to volunteer and contribute to clean-up efforts to do so in a safe and effective way.
“The fact of the matter is professionals are the bosses. Everybody has their own domain expertise, and we have to be very careful of that,” he said.
“Knowing the role that you play in the bigger picture is so important. MPA has a job to do. They have all these complexities to deal with. There's so many tools available and so many assets deployed."
He said the communities can consider how they can "come in to contribute in a meaningful way" and not get in the way of the clean-up efforts.
‘Almost a complete loss’: Oil spill ruins sea sports businesses’ plans to cash in on long weekend
One operator said it suffered a nearly 80 to 90 per cent loss of income revenue, while another was hosting a weekly race in the waters when the oil reached them.
Nicolas Ng and Louisa Tang Channel NewsAsia 18 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Singapore expands clean-up effort to more areas, including eastern end of island
Sarah Koh Straits Times 18 Jun 2024
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.
Ng Hong Siang Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Singapore's water supply not affected by oil spill, coastal drains not linked to reservoirs: PUB
Water quality readings remain normal and no oil has been detected near the seawater intake at Jurong Island Desalination Plant.
Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Sentosa deploys about 100 workers to beef up beach cleaning efforts after oil spill
The Sentosa Development Corporation told CNA it started to cordon off affected parts of Palawan Beach on Friday night, hours after it was notified about the oil spill.
Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Affected parts of Sentosa cordoned off several hours after oil spill on Jun 14
The Sentosa Development Council (SDC) told CNA it started to cordon off affected parts of Palawan Beach on Friday (Jun 14) evening and the clean-up started the next morning.
Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Singapore fish farms in Johor Strait not affected, local fish safe to eat, says SFA
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times 17 Jun 2024
Oil spill incident: Dredger suffered sudden loss in engine, steering control before hitting ship
Raul Dancel Straits Times 16 Jun 2024
[Info additional to the press release] MPA told The Straits Times that half – or 400 tonnes – of the bunker vessel’s fuel leaked into the sea instantly, while the other half was contained and the authority ensured there were no further leaks from the vessel.
After the incident on June 14, animals including monitor lizards, otters and birds have been found covered in oil.
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society has received several reports about these distressed animals, its co-chief executive Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan told ST on June 16.
“Birds will be the quickest to get stranded in such situations,” he said, adding that Acres has a collared kingfisher recovering under its care for now.
More beaches closed after oil spill; MPA working with insurer to set up contact for third-party claims
The dredger suffered a sudden loss in engine and steering control before it hit the stationary bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal.
Channel NewsAsia 16 Jun 2024
No significant wildlife casualties in areas hit by oil spill on St John’s, Lazarus islands
Audrey Tan Straits Times 16 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - No significant wildlife casualties were observed in the oil-slicked areas of St John’s and Lazarus islands on June 16, but conservationists say they are on alert for longer-term ramifications for nature as it could take time for the impacts of oil spills to manifest.
The situation on both islands – connected to each other by a bridge – was much improved from the day before as clean-up efforts progressed, although oil slicks could still be seen in certain lagoons and bays.
A strong smell of oil still lingered in certain parts of both islands, and there were barnacles and snails coated in oil.
But no dead fish or oil-drenched creatures were spotted by volunteers and marine scientists who took part in a biodiversity survey coordinated by the National Parks Board (NParks). Some participants even observed fiddler crabs and a black-tipped reef shark in the waters off St John’s Island.
Dr Karenne Tun, director of NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre, told The Straits Times: “Floating oil patches were still sighted on the seawalls of Lazarus Island.
“No significant impact to marine biodiversity had been observed, though oil was observed on the roots of some mangrove plants in the area.”
Mr Kua Kay Yaw, one of the volunteers who took part in the June 16 survey, said: “It is a good sign that we did not see any wildlife in distress today, but we will have to monitor the situation. It could take a while before we see the true impacts from the oil spill.”
For example, oil slicks at Bendera Bay – an enclosed lagoon on St John’s Island where seagrass beds and coral tables for marine research are located – could affect the life there, said Mr Kua, who is from the Nature Society (Singapore)’s marine conservation group.
He added: “From what I saw, I’m still rather optimistic that the impact is not that bad. But we will need further investigations and surveys after the oil slick is cleaned up to determine the actual impact.”
St John’s and Lazarus islands, located about a 40-minute boat ride from Marina South Pier, are part of Singapore’s southern island chain. They were among the locations worst hit by the oil spill, which was caused when the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary, at about 2.20pm on June 14.
The damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour – which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal – leaked oil into the sea.
By the morning of June 15, the thick oily sludge had made its way to St John’s Island and sparked concerns among marine conservationists and scientists about its impact on marine life in the area.
NParks coordinated the biodiversity survey on June 16 to document the extent of the oil spill, and to keep an eye on whether any wildlife was in need of rescue. About 20 experienced volunteers, including marine scientists and conservationists, fanned out across St John’s and Lazarus islands for about four hours in the afternoon.
Singapore’s southern waters are a hot spot for marine biodiversity. Most of the nation’s coral reefs are found in the area, which is also where animals like dolphins and sea turtles can be spotted.
Mr Stephen Beng, chair of the Friends of Marine Park community – a voluntary network that includes marine scientists, boaters and ocean-dependent business owners – said the oil spill happened right at the start of the nesting season for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.
These marine reptiles nest on sandy seashores, and it is still unclear what impact the toxic oil could have on their eggs.
Turtles also need to come to the surface of the water to breathe, and could potentially ingest the oil in the process, Mr Beng noted. Coincidentally, World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated worldwide on June 16.
NParks’ Dr Tun said the board’s marine turtle conservation programme includes carrying out research, monitoring and conservation efforts together with the community, such as with researchers, Friends of Marine Park, and through a biodiversity beach patrol where the community helps report sightings of sea turtles along Singapore’s shores.
“Furthermore, monitoring of turtle sightings, nests and hatchlings is carried out regularly,” she said.
Dr Tun added that the biodiversity beach patrol scheduled for the morning of June 16 was cancelled due to the closure of the beachfront at East Coast Park areas B to H for oil spill clean-up works.
“The patrols will resume once the areas are reopened,” she added.
The spill comes about a month after Singapore announced plans to designate its second marine park – which will comprise the southern part of Lazarus Island and the reef off Kusu Island – in its southern waters.
Parts of the first marine park – the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park – were also affected by the spill, with rocky shores at St John’s Island’s western end coated in oil.
Dr Jani Tanzil, facility director of the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, was relieved to find that the seawater supply to the marine lab on the island was not affected by the oil spill.
“Our researchers are monitoring how badly their study sites on the island are affected by the oil spill,” she said.
Dr Tanzil and researchers from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University also collected samples of water and nerite snails – algae-eating creatures commonly seen on mangroves and rocky shores – to assess the impact of the oil spill on the marine environment.
A coral reef scientist, Dr Tanzil said the surveys showed that the sub-tidal corals – referring to corals which are always submerged underwater and not exposed to air at low tide – would likely not be too badly affected by the oil spill since oil floats on water.
However, these corals are still suffering from a bleaching event caused by higher-than-usual sea surface temperatures, she said.
Mr Beng said the oil spill adds to the human-caused stress factors confronting marine life in Singapore.
“They’re facing a triple whammy of rising sea surface temperatures caused by climate change, pressure from human activities such as overfishing, and now one of the most environmentally damaging forms of pollution that can cause long-term side effects to our local ecosystems.”
Protecting the ocean is not just about protecting marine biodiversity, although it is important, said Mr Beng.
The oil spill’s impact on businesses such as boat charterers and anglers, as well as members of the public out to enjoy the sun, sand and sea, shows the importance of maintaining the health of the ocean, he added.
“As long as people rely on the ocean in some form or another, the health of the ocean would have an impact on them.”
That the community could rally so quickly in times of crisis, working with NParks to document the impacts of the oil spill on the marine environment, was testament to the trust and relationship built up over the years since Friends of Marine Park was set up in 2017, Mr Beng said.
“We all see the value in protecting what ocean resources remain, and leveraging good relationships helps us respond better,” he said.
Ms Keterina Chong, a volunteer from International Coastal Cleanup Singapore who was part of the NParks survey, said it was fulfilling to be able to help out with it.
“Being physically on-site to witness the impact of the oil spill is a good experience. While we didn’t see any fauna in distress as a result of the oil spill, it was sad to see coral bleaching. The mangrove patch near the St John’s Island jetty also had oil stuck to its roots, which makes me wonder how it will impact the trees.”
Beachfront shops at Sentosa, East Coast Park face thinner crowds after oil spill forces beach closures
Carmen Sin Straits Times 16 Jun 2024
Oil spill clean-up resumes at Sentosa, East Coast Park
Black oil slicks and the stench of petrochemicals remain at the beachfronts of Sentosa and East Coast Park two days after the incident.
Davina Tham Channel NewsAsia 16 Jun 2024
Cleanup under way after oil slicks hit East Coast, Labrador Park, Keppel Bay, Sentosa and Southern Islands - with details on impact to residents, beach goers and businesses
Sarah Koh and Syarafana Shafeeq Straits Times 16 Jun 2024.
'Difficult to breathe': Sentosa residents unwell from effects of oil spill; yacht companies predict losses
One yacht company says it expects to lose about S$3,200 in a day due to the oil spill.
Justin Ong Guang-Xi Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun 2024.
Oil spill reaches Sentosa, East Coast Park and other areas; some beaches closed for clean-up
The beachfront at East Coast Park from area B to H, as well as parts of Labrador Nature Reserve, will be closed until further notice.
Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun 2024
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."
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 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," 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."
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
An MPA-led Emergency Operation Centre has been set up with the key agencies represented to coordinate government efforts on the matter.
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
Beachfront in parts of East Coast Park closed amid oil spill, Sentosa beaches open but no swimming allowed
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times 15 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - A large section of the beachfront in East Coast Park will be closed to the public amid cleanup efforts in the aftermath of an oil spill resulting from a ship accident in Pasir Panjang Terminal.
The beachfront closure in East Coast Park will stretch from Area B to Area H.
The jetty and rocky shore at Labrador Nature Reserve will also be closed, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Parks Board (NParks), National Environment Agency (NEA), Sentosa Development Corporation in a joint statement on June 15.
In Sentosa, the Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches will remain open, but water activities and swimming will not be allowed.
Food and beverage establishments, tracks, fields, and cycling paths remain open, the statement said.
The oil spill is the result of an incident involving the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary, on June 14.
Due to the tidal current, the oil has landed along shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier, and East Coast Park, the statement said.
“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,” it added.
There are no signs of oil slick within Sister’s Islands Marine Park but oil sheen was observed in the surrounding waters, it said.
MPA patrol craft were deployed to spray dispersants on the spill. The MPA oil spill response contractor was also activated, and the team mobilised oil booms, dispersants and oil skimmer to reduce the impact of the spill.
The joint statement said 18 response craft have been deployed by MPA, port operator PSA, Singapore Salvage Engineers, Tian San Shipping, and T&T Salvage to carry out the containment and clean-up efforts at sea.
Close to 1,500m of container booms have been deployed and more will be used 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, the statement added.
NParks has also deployed oil absorbent booms to protect Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve.
Although 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.
Members of the public who encounter any oil-slicked animal can contact the Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600.
NEA is also monitoring water quality at other beaches while MPA will be conducting an investigation into the incident.
Oil spill reaches S’pore’s southern islands, sparking concerns over corals weakened from bleaching
Audrey Tan Straits Times 15 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - Oil leaking from a damaged cargo tank at Pasir Panjang Terminal reached the marine habitats on Singapore’s southern islands on the morning of June 15, with members of the marine conservation and recreation community reporting sightings of marine habitats and creatures – including mangroves and a kingfisher – slicked in oil.
The fishing and yachting community is on alert for fish deaths over the next few days, while marine biologists fear how Singapore’s corals will fare amid the spill.
This is especially since the Republic’s coral reefs are still in a weakened state due to the ongoing bleaching event caused by rising sea surface temperatures.
Mr Ahmed Aliyar, an administrative manager at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML), told The Straits Times that he first saw oil clinging to the mangroves next to St John’s Island’s main jetty at about 8.45 am on June 15.
“I was in the ferry heading to St John’s from Marina South Pier this morning. The sea was covered with oil and trash and there was a strong crude oil smell in the air,” he added.
Later, as he made his rounds around the island, he also saw an oily sheen covering the lagoons and coastal areas around St John’s and the adjacent Lazarus Island.
The spill was caused by a collision at about 2.20pm on June 14 between a Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary.
The damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour – which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal – leaked oil into the sea.
Dr Jani Tanzil, a coral reef scientist and facility director of the SJINML, said that when staff left the island at about 5pm on June 14, the oil had not yet reached the island.
The spill comes about a month after Singapore announced plans to designate its second marine park – which will comprise the southern part of Lazarus Island and the reef off Kusu Island – in its southern waters.
Parts of Singapore’s first marine park – the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park – were also affected by the spill, with rocky shores at St John’s Island’s western end reportedly coated in oil.
Dr Tanzil said plans are being made among the Friends of Marine Park community – including marine scientists, boaters and ocean-dependent business owners – to survey the shores around St John’s and Lazarus Islands on June 16 to document the oil slicks and impact on marine life.
The intertidal area refers to the zone that is exposed to air at low tide, and covered by seawater at high tide. When the tide recedes and exposes the corals to air, it is likely that the oil will coat the exposed corals, said Dr Tanzil.
“The oil is toxic and can smother them the same way it impacts other marine life,” she said. “So with the ongoing coral bleaching which is also affecting more of the shallower corals, it is a double whammy that can affect their recovery.”
Asked about the impact of the oil spill on the deeper corals, Dr Tanzil said it depends on a number of factors. Oil on the surface could block out light needed for corals to photosynthesise, so it depends on how long it takes for it to be removed.
The type of dispersants used in the clean-up could also have an impact, she said, as studies have shown that certain types of chemicals could change the density of the hydrocarbons in the oil and cause them to sink.
“If this happens, it can affect the sub-tidal corals too,” she said.
“I am just thankful that this did not happen during the mass coral spawning period,” Dr Tanzil said, referring to the yearly event where hard corals release their sperms and eggs en-masse to reproduce. This year’s spawning event took place at the end of April 2024.
“If it did, then all this oil and dispersants will definitely affect the coral spawn and larvae. Some studies have shown that oil does adversely affect coral growth rates and reproductive rates,” she added.
Meanwhile, Mr N. Sivasothi, a mangrove expert at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said: “It’s upsetting that this incident involving a stationary vessel could happen in the daytime.”
The impact of the spill on the mangrove habitats depend on oil types and volume, he added.
“It could impact vegetative structures such as roots, stems and leaves; disrupt reproduction and affect wildlife, especially aquatic species lower in the food chain which could be poisoned or suffocated,” he said.
Ms Sue Ye, founder of Marine Stewards – a marine conservation non-government organisation comprising anglers, divers and boaters – said oil spills smother and suffocate fish, birds and marine animals that have to go to the surface for air, such as turtles and dolphins.
The group is also on the lookout for fish deaths over the next few days, she added.
Ms Ye said that one of the group’s members, Mr Samuel Pua, spotted a kingfisher coated in oil at Lazarus Island on the morning of June 15.
“He said the kingfisher wasn’t able to fly, though it tried. He tried to get close to rescue it, but it jumped away. Didn’t chase further because if it jumped backwards more, it’ll be in a pool of oil,” she said.
The Straits Times has reached out to NParks for comment.
Oil spill from ship reaches East Coast Park, sea activities on Sentosa beaches halted
Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun 2024
A day earlier, on Friday (Jun 14), an oil spill took place in the waters off Pasir Panjang Terminal, several kilometres west of Sentosa.
SINGAPORE: Oil has washed up along the coast of several beaches in Singapore, including those in Sentosa and East Coast Park, a day after a dredger hit a bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal.
Oil was seen on Saturday (Jun 15) at Sentosa's beaches at Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong, as well as at Sentosa Cove which is home to several condominiums.
Visitors to Sentosa will be allowed to use the beaches on the resort island, but swimming and sea activities will be prohibited for the time being to facilitate an oil spill clean-up, said a spokesperson from Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).
A letter from property management company Knight Frank to Sentosa Cove residents earlier in the day stated that all beaches were "closed".
The oil slick had spread from a spillage that occurred on Friday at Pasir Panjang Terminal when a Netherlands-flagged dredger hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel at about 2.20pm.
Some oil from the damaged cargo tank on board the bunker vessel spilled into the water.
"Sixteen oil spill response craft have been deployed to continue spraying oil dispersants and to collect the oil slicks on the water surface," the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Saturday.
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.
"We have since stopped all beach activities in and along the waters of our beaches, and have commenced a clean-up immediately, alongside MPA and relevant authorities," said SDC, 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."
At East Coast Park, oil was seen along the beach. There was an obvious 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 prior to 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 Park, with a boom stretched between the jetty and the coast.
A worker said the boom was being used to try to stop the spread of the oil.
MPA said on Saturday afternoon that that is no impact on navigational traffic. "Berthing operations at Pasir Panjang Terminal remain unaffected," it added.
In a statement on Friday at 6pm when it first announced the oil spill, MPA said the spill had been "contained".
Pasir Panjang Terminal is on the mainland of Singapore, several kilometres west of Sentosa.
Additional reporting by Matthew Mohan and Syamil Sapari
Oil spill clean-up in progress at Pasir Panjang Terminal after boat hits stationary vessel: MPA
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times 14 Jun 2024
SINGAPORE - Clean-up operations are under way at Pasir Panjang Terminal after a boat hit another vessel on June 14, resulting in an oil spill.
The incident involved the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.
The damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour – which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal – leaked oil into the sea, the statement added.
The spill has been contained, it said.
MPA, port operator PSA and the bunker vessel firm have activated oil spill response craft, the statement added.
The incident took place at about 2.20pm on June 14, and there were no injuries reported.
Both vessels are anchored safely, but MPA said there is some damage above the waterline, which refers to the part of the hull of a ship that meets the surface of the water.
The statement said: “There is no impact to navigational safety and berthing operations at PSA remain unaffected.”
Related links
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