PUB is continuing to monitor seawater intakes at its desalination plants, with seawater quality readings remaining normal. - ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The clean-up of the waters, rocks and structures on and between Pulau Bukom and Bukom Kechil is expected to be completed in days, with no new oil sightings as at 3pm on Oct 22.
This comes after more than 30 tonnes of “slop” – a mixture of oil and water – were leaked into the sea from a Shell pipeline between the two islands on Oct 20.
The clean-up involves the clearing of the remaining oil trapped in the containment booms in the waters between the islands, and the cleansing of stained rock bunds and infrastructure there, according to a joint statement on Oct 22 by nine government agencies.
The agencies are the Building and Construction Authority, JTC Corporation, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, National Environment Agency, National Parks Board, national water agency PUB, Sentosa Development Corporation, Singapore Food Agency and Singapore Land Authority.
PUB is also continuing to monitor seawater intakes at its desalination plants, with seawater quality readings remaining normal. The Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant and Jurong Island Desalination Plant are the closest ones to the location of the leak.
There are also no reports of fish farms being affected by the oil leak, according to the joint statement, with the agencies continuing to monitor for oil sightings.
The agencies said on Oct 21 that they were working closely with Shell to clean up the leaked oil.
Members of the public were also advised to avoid swimming and other primary contact water activities near the beaches of East Coast Park, Kusu Island, St John’s Island and Lazarus Island, despite no oil sightings at these islands, as well as Pulau Hantu and Seringat Island. - The Straits Times/ANN
