SINGAPORE: One week after 400 tonnes of oil leaked into Singapore’s waters, cleanup efforts are still ongoing both at sea and on land. Strong winds snapped some of the containment booms off Sentosa, necessitating their repair and reinforcement.
One cleanup company increased its workforce by hiring more workers from overseas. In addition, a treatment plant must carefully process the toxic oil-soaked sand collected from the impacted beaches.
The oil leak happened in the afternoon of June 14 when a stationary bunker vessel, flying the Dutch flag, was struck by a dredger, and its damaged cargo tank leaked into the water. That evening, T&T Salvage Asia blocked off the lagoon entrances to Sentosa’s beaches with containment booms.
The weather was awful, with heavy, thunderous showers starting early in the morning. Thus, one or two booms broke, but it was fixed immediately, according to Captain Anuj, who added that the bigger boom was only being used as a safety measure.
He clarified that some degree of damage, such as wear and tear, is regular and already taken into account when deploying booms.
The new boom’s three-meter-long segments must be fully inflated with air to enable it to float on the water, according to Capt. Anuj is heavy and requires more labor and coordination to deploy.
Also Read:
2024 National Day Parade to Include PUB Water Wagons and the SAF’s New Light Machine Gun
Craft Beer Market facing difficulties as Singapore’s Archipelago Withdraws