Over 140,000kg of oil-soaked sand removed from Sentosa beaches, Siloso Beach 'largely cleaned'
Sentosa has started clearing oil on rock bunds and breakwaters.
By
Hannah Martens
June 23, 2024, 06:14 PM
Since Jun. 15, over 140,000kg of oil-soaked sand has been removed from the three beaches on Sentosa.
In a Facebook post on Jun. 23, Sentosa added that the Siloso Beach shoreline is "largely cleaned" now, but that there is still work to be done.
In addition, Sentosa has started clearing oil on rock bunds and breakwaters.
"This is a challenging and time-consuming task. These areas are harder to access than the shoreline, with uneven surfaces and oil slipping into boulder crevices," Sentosa shared.
"We are working with experts using specialised cleaning methods to thoroughly flush out the oil and clear it from the lagoon."
Sentosa assured that its beachfront dining spots and attractions remain open, and visitors to those can still enjoy access to its beaches.Complex process
The oil spill happened on Jun. 14 due to an allision between a Netherlands-flagged dredger and a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker tanker.
In a Facebook update on Jun. 20, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that more time is still needed for the cleanup.
Fu shared in the post that cleaning oil off the rock bunds and breakwaters at the beach is a complex process that requires "specialised cleaning" as the rock bunds are more inaccessible and have uneven surfaces.
Oil that has slipped into the boulder crevices must also be thoroughly flushed out, and oil within the lagoon must be removed.
Before the beaches can be reopened, the government needs to ensure that water quality is within safe levels.
Singapore's water supply and sea-based fish farms have remained unaffected.
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Top photos via Sentosa/Facebook
