SINGAPORE: An 800m stretch of Changi Beach is closed to the public until further notice, after an oil spill from Tuesday’s collision between two container vessels off Johor reached its shores.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) confirmed on Thursday (Jan 5) that clean-up at the beach is underway, adding that efforts are also ongoing at a 100m stretch at Noordin Beach at Pulau Ubin.
Pasir Ris Beach and Punggol Beach were also affected but cleaning operations there have been completed, said NEA.
A worker picking up bags of oily black sand. (Photo: Winnie Goh)
When Channel NewsAsia visited the beach on Thursday afternoon, plastic bags containing oily black sand were seen lining the banks of Changi Point Ferry Terminal and they stretched all the way along Changi Beach.
At least a hundred workers were involved, scooping sand into the plastic bags. There was an unmistakable smell of oil in the air.
A worker clearing oily black sand from Changi Beach. (Photo: Winnie Goh)
A supervisor said his workers started cleaning the beach before sunrise and they were into the second round of cleaning.
Another source, who declined to be identified, said workers will clean the stretch of the beach for a third time when the tide is low and has receded, leaving more oil on the beach. He said the clean-up is expected to take “a few days” but that the worst is over.
Workers were seen putting up signs along the beach to warn members of the public that the water is contaminated and that the beach is closed.
At Bistro@Changi restaurant, business has dropped by about 30 per cent since last night and during lunch service on Thursday, according to service staff Mr Hadyul Adzim who also complained of a headache after arriving this morning.
“The thick smell of oil was worse last night and customers who wanted to have dinner requested to switch tables farther from the beach area,” he said.
A sign informing members of the public that Changi Beach is closed, and that waters are contaminated. (Photo: Winnie Goh)
Channel NewsAsia also understands that authorities are combing places such as Pulau Ubin and Coney Island, using aerial search methods to check for oil patches.
At Changi Point Ferry Terminal, where ferries depart for Pulau Ubin, workers had placed oil booms and oil absorbent pads into the water. The oil boom collects the oil and prevents it from contaminating the other side. Oil absorbent pads that look like cotton patches absorb and allow the oil to coagulate in one area, making it easier for workers to collect the oil from the water.
Oil absorbent pads help the oil coagulate in an area. (Photo: Winnie Goh)
In a statement, NEA said: “Members of the public are advised to exercise caution when visiting these beaches and to avoid the affected stretches where cleaning operations are still ongoing. NEA is also closely monitoring the quality of the seawater.”
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was notified about the collision, involving a Singapore-registered container vessel and a Gibraltar-registered container vessel, at about 11.50pm on Tuesday, it said in a media release on Wednesday. The authority added that it would investigate the cause of the collision.
So far, three coastal fish farms in the Eastern Johor Straits have been affected by the oil spill, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore. One farm reported a loss of about 100 to 200kg of fish.
