Press Conference on Updates to Oil Spill Clean-up Operations – Ms Grace Fu

Remarks by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations at the Press Conference on udpates to the oil spill clean-up operations on 24 June 2024 at the National Press Centre

1 I will first address the land-based cleaning operations, the challenges involved, and our emphasis on worker safety.

2 I will also provide our estimates on when the beaches can be reopened, as well as how agencies are closely monitoring the impact on affected businesses.

3 Lastly, I will address the efforts by MSE agencies (NEA, PUB and SFA) in monitoring the impact to our food safety, air and water quality.

Progress of land-based clean-up

4 Agencies have made good progress in land-based clean-up operations. Over 700 cleaning personnel have been deployed, and much of the oil on our beachfronts has been cleaned up. About 550 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and debris from the affected beaches has been removed.

5 This is being sent to toxic waste treatment facilities for safe treatment and disposal. A total of over 3,400 metres of booms have been deployed, to prevent oil from being washed ashore or into our inland canals.

6 This effort would not have been possible without the tireless and coordinated efforts of our cleaning personnel from agencies and their service providers. Their well-being is our priority, and we have taken steps to protect their safety.

7 First, on air quality. NEA has been conducting daily air quality tests at East Coast Park, Sentosa and Labrador Nature Reserve, to ensure the safety of the public and clean-up personnel. The air quality info is updated daily on NEA’s website. It is easily accessible from the homepage.

8 The test includes measuring levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are commonly associated with bunkering fuels and other petrochemicals. In addition, NEA monitors ambient levels of VOCs at various locations in Singapore and no anomalies have been detected.

9 Air quality has been within safe levels at the affected beaches, including on Saturday when the oil spill first washed up on beaches, and even though members of public near the beachfront or shoreline may experience odour from time to time. It is safe to be around the beaches, except the areas that are cordoned off to facilitate cleaning operations.

10 Second, on protective equipment. Contractors equip their workers according to the nature of the work carried out. In the early stage of the clean-up, as a sizeable amount of oil washed up on shore and strong fumes were observed, NEA issued a general advisory for personnel involved in the general beach clean-up effort to include masks, goggles, rubber gloves and high waterproof boots as part of their PPE.

11 Now that the bulk of the oil has been removed, NEA has updated the advisory to no longer require masks and goggles. To elaborate, the type of PPE required depends on the site conditions and type of operations. For example, a worker handling the bagging of sand should wear rubber gloves, but those shovelling would need wear gloves with better grip.

12 Contractors can assess the site conditions, nature of tasks, and risks, and decide what is safe and practical. The public should not be surprised to see variations of PPEs used in different situations and locations.

13 Third, agencies and their contractors should also ensure that sufficient rest breaks and rehydration are provided, as cleaning personnel are often working under the hot sun.

Next phase of cleaning up, timing on reopening of beaches

14 The public is naturally concerned about the status of our beaches, when the clean-ups will be completed and when the beaches can be reopened.

15 The first phase of the clean-up focused on removing the oil slicks and contaminated sand from the surface of the affected beaches and deploying booms to avoid further contamination. This is making good progress and approaching completion.

16 We are moving into the next phase of the clean-up response, which will be more complex in nature as we focus on difficult to clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters, and oil trapped deeper in the sand.

17 This new phase will involve trained personnel using more specialized equipment. Let me explain why this phase of cleaning is not as straightforward.

18 The rock bunds are not as accessible as beach shorelines and their surfaces are uneven. Oil that has slipped into the boulder crevices needs to be thoroughly flushed out. We want to minimise the oil flushed out from contaminating other areas.

19 We are also mindful of keeping our workers safe as they operate over rocky terrain which can be uneven, hard to reach as they are sea-facing, and very slippery. In some areas, where there is sensitive biodiversity, we will also take precautions during cleaning and adjust the cleaning method if necessary. Even as we clear the beach and shoreline, oil remnants at sea may still wash ashore.

20 There could also be secondary contamination from the cleaning of other areas. So, we will need to continue with the regular cleaning of beaches even as we embark on more specialised cleaning.

21 The next phase of clean-up operations commenced on the rock bunds at Siloso beach on 21 Jun. In the coming weeks, similar operations will be carried out at Sentosa Cove, Palawan Beach, Labrador Nature Reserve, and East Coast Park. We will test out various cleaning methods to find the most suitable ones for respective sites and refine our operations as we go along.

22 We expect to take around three months to complete this next phase of cleaning, after which we will progressively reopen affected public areas. For less affected areas, we hope to open earlier.

23 We will resume sea activities only when the water quality is assessed to be safe for primary contact activities. For biodiversity sensitive sites, we will need more time for assessment of impact to wildlife.

24 The situation may continue to be fluid and we should be prepared for some uncertainty. The oil spill situation remains dynamic. It is possible for some stranded oil to resurface at a later stage.

25 Oil that has resurfaced in one location can also flow to and affect other areas, carried by wind, current, and tide. This may affect the completion of cleaning. Agencies will continue to remain vigilant and monitor the situation.

Tapping on volunteers

26 I wish to thank our many volunteers who have offered their time and effort to assist the clean-up efforts. So far, our volunteers have not been directly involved in actual clean-up actions, due to the complexity of the task, and for their personal safety.

27 We have largely completed the initial phase of cleaning and are embarking on more specialised cleaning. Once these are done, we will enter a final phase of cleaning where we comb the beach and remove tar balls – small blobs of coagulated oil – in the sand.

28 This will likely be done with rakes and sieves, rather than shovels, to avoid removing too much uncontaminated sand. We are planning to involve volunteers working alongside our cleaning personnel so that we can relieve our workers and to accelerate the reopening of our beaches. We will ensure that this is conducted safely and that volunteers are properly equipped.

Support for businesses

29 We seek the understanding of members of the public and businesses affected by this incident, as we need time to recover safely. We are aware that businesses operating sea-based activities in the affected areas have been directly affected. As the situation is evolving, agencies are closely monitoring the impact on affected businesses.

30 For Sentosa, SDC’s primary focus now is on the recovery efforts, restoring water quality, and protecting the surrounding wildlife along the three affected beaches. There is a steady improvement in the removal of oil slicks from the beaches, with a large majority of Siloso beach already cleared of oily sand.

31 Siloso Beach was the least impacted by the incident, followed by Palawan and Tanjong Beach. All beachfront businesses are open, except for two that are conducting activities at sea. We are in touch with these businesses and are closely monitoring the business impact.

Food safety

32 I will now move on to food safety and water quality. Our nearest local fish farms are located in the Johor Strait away from the path of the oil spill. None have been affected thus far.

33 MPA had deployed a Quick Response Force on standby near our fish farms, ready to carry out oil response operations in the event of oil sightings.

34 Our local fish remains safe to consume. To ensure food safety, SFA has been taking samples of seafood from farms twice daily for testing. To date, our test results did not indicate any food safety concerns and there is no taint of petroleum detected.

35 Nonetheless, we remain vigilant. SFA has been in close contact with fish farms, to put in place a range of preventive measures: SFA issued advisories to the farms, and provided hotlines for the farms to call, should the farms notice any abnormalities or require any assistance.

36 SFA has also distributed canvas sheets and absorbent pads to our farms to prevent potential contamination should the oil spill spread to our farms.

37 SFA and some farms have pre-emptively deployed canvas sheets around the perimeter of the farms, to reduce the risk of oil incursion into the farm. SFA has also been engaging farmers to stand ready for other measures, such as early harvesting of fish, if needed.

38 Beyond the testing of local seafood, SFA regularly tests food imported into Singapore, as part of its surveillance and monitoring regime.

Beach water quality

39 NEA is also monitoring the water quality at the affected beaches. No oil has been observed at Changi beach. As a precaution, we have advised members of the public to avoid swimming and other primary water contact activities at Changi beach until further notice.

40 Such an advisory is already in place for Pasir Ris and Sembawang beaches since early this year, due to high bacteria count in the water at those beaches.

41 On public’s safety, we will provide updates, on whether it is safe for the public to swim or carry out water activities at the beaches. The latest advisories on beach water quality are easily accessible on NEA’s website and myENV app.

Water supply

42 PUB has updated that there has been no impact to our water supply. Our desalination plants have not observed signs of oil near their seawater intake. Our real-time sensors did not pick up any abnormalities.

43 As a precautionary measure, PUB deployed containment booms at Marina Barrage on 16 Jun. There has been no impact to the water quality in Marina Bay.

Conclusion

44 We are heartened by the strong support from members of public who have come forward to volunteer, as well as acts of kindness shown to the cleaning crews.

45 Whilst we have made good progress in our cleaning operation, we need more time to clean the rock bunds and complicated shoreline.

46 We will reopen the beaches for activities with primary contact with sea water when we are satisfied that it is safe to do so. We ask for patience from the public over the next few months.

47 I would like to thank our service providers and contractors who have responded quickly to the incident, the cleaners and workers who have worked tirelessly to clean the oil sleeks under trying conditions, and our staff and team for monitoring, testing the air, water and fish, and preparing for contingencies round the clock 24-7 over the past week.

48 When we are ready for the next phase of operation, we hope that Singaporeans will volunteer to help with the clean-up so that we can return the beaches clean and safe to the public soonest possible.