Tall order: A crew working to clean up one of the affected beaches in Johor. — Bernama
JOHOR BARU: The clean-up work on the beaches of Sungai Rengit and Teluk Ramunia is officially underway following a ship collision at Pasir Panjang Terminal, Singapore, which resulted in the spill of marine fuel oil in Pengerang waters.
State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the clean-up work on both beaches is being handled with coordination from various parties and agencies.
The responsible shipping company’s insurer has appointed a contractor to handle the clean-up, with all costs covered by the insurance company, he added.
The oil spill originated from a collision between a Dutch dredger Vox Maxima and a Singaporean oil tanker Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal on June 14.
“Rough waves caused the spilled oil, estimated at 400 tonnes, to drift into Johor waters in Pengerang and on Wednesday morning, traces of the oil spill were found on the shores of Sungai Rengit and Teluk Ramunia, which has polluted about one kilometre of the shoreline here,” Ling said.
“The Johor Environment Department, the Kota Tinggi District Office, the Marine Department and others will continue to monitor the works to ensure that the contaminated coastal area and the situation returns to normal,” he said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
The Johor Environment Department and the Singapore Environment Department will also continue to cooperate and share information to ensure that this oil pollution incident can be resolved effectively.
