The National Environment Agency (NEA) has advised members of Raffles Marina not to participate in any water sports or fishing for the time being after elevated levels of oil and grease were found in waters nearby.

The pollution was noticed by a member of the public, who subsequently posted it on the Facebook page Complaint Singapore Unrestricted on Jul. 6, 2023.

According to the post, large patches of dark brown liquid could be seen floating on the surface of the sea at Raffles Marina.

In the caption, the page claimed that the water became polluted after an industrial fire broke out at 11 Tuas Link on the morning of Jul. 5, leading to "the spillage of toxic chemicals". The Tuas space is occupied by MegaChem, a wholesaler and distributor of chemicals.

The post claimed that staying at the marina too long would cause headaches and nausea, and that marine life was "dying in droves".

When Lianhe Zaobao visited Raffles Marina on Jul. 6, the reporter noticed a chemical smell even before they reached the pier.

Patches of dark-coloured grease and fish carcasses were observed floating on the water's surface.

At around noon, workers were seen cleaning up the oil and grease.

Club deployed staff to clean up

According to the director of Raffles Marina, surnamed Siaw, the brown and black chemicals could be seen floating on its nearby waters since around 8am on Jul. 5, Zaobao reported.

He called the authorities, who immediately sent personnel to clean up.

However, Siaw said that even though the waters looked clear the next day, there was still a lingering pungent smell, and that was also when fish carcasses started to appear.

He also claimed that the chemicals left brown and black stains on some of the boats and the walls of the docking area.

The club then deployed staff members and hired a chemical company to help clear up the polluted water. Siaw claimed that the polluted area was too extensive, so the entire process took a while.

He said the cleaning operation was not over, and at least 650kg of chemicals were used.

Dead fish and oil cleared by Jul. 6

In response to Mothership's enquiries, a spokesperson from NEA confirmed that the water quality at Raffles Marina was affected by oil and grease in the run-off water from the fire at 11 Tuas Link 1.

Additionally, NEA stated that some dead fishes were found there.

The dead fish and oil in the marina were cleared by the club on Jul. 6.

Likewise, the water quality in the nearby Tuas West canal was also affected by the run-off, and booms were placed in the canal on the day of the fire to prevent oil and grease in the run-off from entering the sea.

According to NEA, the agency has been monitoring the water quality in the canal and around the marina daily since Jul. 5, and water samples show elevated levels of oil and grease.

The agency has also worked with Raffles Marina to inform their members to refrain from participating in any water sports and fishing in the area for the time being, as a precautionary measure.

NEA said it will continue monitoring the water quality at the canal and Raffles Marina until it returns to normal.

The agency is also investigating whether any environmental regulations were violated.

Mothership has reached out to MegaChem for comment.

Top images via Facebook & Lianhe Zaobao