Sentosa’s Tanjong Beach reopens for water activities, marking end of oil spill clean-up
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The water quality at Tanjong Beach has returned to normal and stable levels following the oil spill in June.
PHOTO: SENTOSA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
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SINGAPORE – A huge clean-up in Singapore after a major oil spill in June has officially wrapped up, with Sentosa’s Tanjong Beach the latest to reopen for water activities.
In a Facebook post on Sept 3, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said: “Eight hundred cleaning personnel, 2,300 volunteers, 3,750 tonnes of debris later, we have completed the task... ahead of schedule!”
She thanked all cleaning personnel who toiled under the sun to clean up the oil spill in large swathes of the sea around Singapore, after a boat hit another vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal on June 14.
“It was tiring work, especially in the early stages when there was a lot of manual labour to be done in scooping and removing the oil-soaked sand,” she said.
Ms Fu added that the community played an important role, with more than 2,300 volunteers joining activities coordinated by the Public Hygiene Council to help with the removal of residual tar balls and marine debris.
As the support was overwhelming, not everyone was deployed eventually, she said, adding that the enthusiastic support was deeply appreciated.
Earlier in the day, the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) announced that Tanjong Beach, the last of Sentosa’s three beaches affected by the oil spill
Tanjong Beach, which was most impacted by the oil spill, reopened after regular monitoring indicated that water quality had returned to normal and stable levels, SDC said in a statement.
“This marks the full reopening of all beaches on Sentosa Island,” it said.
“The successful reopening of Tanjong Beach ahead of the expected three months is a testament to the joint efforts and close collaboration among the various national agencies.”
It expressed its gratitude to all workers, volunteers, island businesses and partner agencies involved in the clean-up and restoration.
Tanjong Beach, which was most impacted by the oil spill, reopened after regular monitoring indicated that water quality had returned to normal and stable levels.
PHOTO: SENTOSA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Sentosa’s Siloso Beach and Palawan Beach
Water activities at the beaches on Sentosa, the Southern Islands and East Coast Park were suspended after Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was stationary.
While the clean-up of the beachfront at East Coast Park is complete, not all water activities have been given the green light to resume.
The National Parks Board said in a Facebook post on Aug 11 that the park’s visitors can resume “non-primary contact water sports” – which involve minimal contact with water – such as kayaking.
But it advised against swimming and primary contact water activities such as wakeboarding and stand-up paddling in the waters.
Sentosa Development Corporation expressed its gratitude to all workers, volunteers, island businesses and partner agencies involved in the clean-up and restoration.
PHOTO: SENTOSA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng wrote in a Facebook post on Aug 11 that swimming can take place once the water quality stabilises.
He said: “If you’d like to swim, head to Changi Beach, Siloso Beach or Kusu Island.”
The National Environment Agency has also allowed sea sports to resume on Kusu Island, he added.
Meanwhile, swimming and all water activities at Eagle Bay Beach on Lazarus Island resumed on Aug 13
