Authorities have removed over 71,000 kilograms of sand as part of the cleanup drive following the oil spill on June 14. The information was stated by Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, on Facebook.
Fu said she visited Tanjong Beach and Siloso Beach on Sentosa with MOS Alvin Tan on June 20, “to better understand the ongoing beach cleanup work there”.
“Cleaning the beaches involves a lot of hard work. Immediate focus is to stop the oil spill from spreading inward by deploying booms and removing the oil-soaked sand along the shoreline. Since Saturday, over 71,000kg of oil-soaked sand has been scooped up at the three Sentosa beaches,” her post read.
The minister said that authorities will also need to clean the oil off rock bunds and breakwaters near beaches. She termed it as a “complex process requiring specialised cleaning”.
“The rock bunds are not as accessible as beach shorelines and their surfaces are uneven. Oil that has slipped into the boulder crevices also needs to be thoroughly flushed out, and oil within the lagoon needs to be removed,” Minister Fu said.
The lawmaker has urged people to be patient and understanding while the clean-up process is ongoing.
Several beaches have been closed since reports emerged about the oil spill. Meanwhile, Malaysia has started to clean its coast.
The spill was caused after a dredger, Vox Maxima, hit and ruptured one of the oil cargo tanks of a bunker vessel, Marine Honour, at the Pasir Panjang Container Terminal (PPT).
As per reports, the Maritime and Port Authority will seek compensation for costs incurred from the oil spill from the owners of Marine Honour.
Johor starts coastal cleanup
The spill in the neighbouring country has forced authorities in Malaysia to activate coastal patrol in Johor. A coastal cleanup drive has been initiated in Kota Tinggi district.
As per reports, the activity was spotted in two beaches, Sungai Rengit and Teluk Ramunia, on Friday morning. said state health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon in a Facebook post.
“Sungai Rengit and Pengerang are located east of Changi, tens of kilometres from areas in Singapore such as East Coast Park and the beaches of Tanah Merah that have been affected by the oil spill,” a CNA report read.