Ministerial Statement on Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill - Ms Grace Fu

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT BY MS GRACE FU, MINISTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND MINISTER-IN-CHARGE OF TRADE RELATIONS, ON PASIR PANJANG TERMINAL OIL SPILL FOR PARLIAMENT SITTING ON 2 JULY 2024

Mr Speaker,

1 I will address the progress of our land-based clean-ups, the challenges involved, our emphasis on protecting the health and well-being of our workers and the public, the impact to businesses and our efforts in monitoring any impact on the safety of our food, air and water quality.

Progress of land-based clean-up

2 We have made good progress in cleaning up the oil spill. As of 30 June, over 1,200 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and debris has been collected, and much of the oil slicks on our beachfronts has been removed. The bulk of oil-soaked sand has been removed and sent to toxic waste treatment facilities for safe treatment and disposal. Booms have also been deployed to prevent oil from being washed ashore or into our inland canals.

Protection of workers

3 This operation would not have been possible without the tireless and coordinated efforts from multiple agencies and many service providers. Several members have raised questions about the welfare and safety of our workers. I would like to assure Members that the well-being of our workers is our priority. We have been taking many steps to ensure their safety and well-being.

4 First, on air quality. As part of its air quality monitoring regime, the National Environment Agency (NEA) monitors ambient levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (or VOCs) through our network of 24/7 ambient air monitoring stations at various locations in Singapore. One of the monitoring stations is located on Sentosa, and there is also one at the eastern end of East Coast Park. The monitoring stations did not detect any anomalies over this period of time, including for Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene (or BTX) that are commonly associated with bunkering fuels and other petrochemicals.

5 When the oil slick reached stretches of our coastline on 15 June, NEA began conducting daily air quality tests using mobile detectors at affected areas of East Coast Park, Sentosa and Labrador Nature Reserve, to ensure the safety of the public and clean-up personnel. The VOCs detected, including for BTX, have been well within safe levels.

6 Ms Rachel Ong asked if there were health and safety concerns from breathing in the oil fumes. I have explained that the air quality at the affected areas is safe, based on both measurements from our 24/7 ambient air monitoring stations as well as localised daily testing using mobile detectors. While members of public near the beachfront or shoreline may experience odour from time to time, especially in the early days of the oil spill, it is safe to be around these areas.

7 Second, as part of the Standard Operating Procedure, service providers are involved in our oil spill response in many critical functions. Many of them are specialised contractors involved in the laying of booms and in cleaning of difficult-to-clean areas such as rock bunds. Others are general cleaning contractors involved in clearing the beaches of oily sand and debris. These service providers participate in our regular oil spill exercises and are familiar with their roles and processes. Before deployment, personnel are briefed on their tasks and workplace safety. Agencies and their contractors are regularly reminded to ensure that sufficient rest breaks and rehydration are provided. We have also reminded cleaning contractors to ensure that workers receive rest days and consider rotating workers where possible. Workers who feel unwell should approach their employer for support and assistance.

8 Third, on protective equipment. Mr Louis Ng, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Rachel Ong asked about the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our workers. As is the case for any work carried out in Singapore, employers, including the contractors, are responsible for assessing the site conditions, nature of tasks and risks, when deploying and equipping their workers. In the immediate few days after the oil spill, when a sizeable amount of oil was washed up on shore, NEA issued a general advisory for personnel involved in the clean-up effort to include masks, goggles, rubber gloves and high waterproof boots as part of their PPE. This was done as an additional precaution even though the air quality was well within safe levels. After the bulk of the oil was removed, NEA updated the advisory to no longer require masks and goggles.

Next phase of cleaning up and re-opening of beaches

9 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. All the remaining affected areas have entered the second phase of the clean-up response, which focuses on difficult-to-clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters, and oil trapped deeper in the sand. Members of the public may notice a scaling down of general cleaning at the beaches, as more specialised teams are deployed to clean these difficult areas. General cleaning of the beaches may still be required, as oil remnants may continue to be washed ashore.

10 The cleaning methods for the second phase have been decided jointly between the oil spill consultants and the cleaning contractors. These methods may be refined along the way as the shoreline of each affected area may be different. For ecologically sensitive locations, NParks is consulted on the methods to be deployed. Once the second phase of cleaning operation is completed, we will move to the final phase, where we remove tar balls from the beaches and inspect the affected areas for any remaining oil stains.

11 We expect the clean-up to take around three months. But this will vary for each area, depending on the extent they are affected. One Degree 15 Marina and the Marina at Keppel Bay have re-opened as clean-up efforts continue to progress. The cordoned-off areas of the beaches at Sentosa, along East Coast Park, and Southern Islands will progressively open for land-based activities^1.

12 We will test the water quality to ensure that it is back to normal and stable for at least a week before resuming swimming and other primary contact sea activities.

Support for businesses

13 Agencies have been monitoring the situation carefully. We understand the frustration and inconvenience that businesses have experienced due to the oil spill. That is why Sentosa Development Corporation, which manages Sentosa and businesses on the Southern Islands, and other agencies such as NParks that collectively manage the beachfront along East Coast Park, have been proactively reaching out to their tenants. The agencies are developing rental deferral measures to help affected businesses with their cash flow, on a case-by-case basis. SDC will also look to promote a return of footfall through marketing and social media support. As mentioned by MOT during last week’s joint press conference, the economic losses resulting from the oil spill can be assessed for claims. Contact details of the insurer have been made available to the public.

Tapping on volunteers

14 Many volunteers have stepped forward to offer their assistance in the clean-up operations. Volunteers have not been directly involved in the beach clean-up actions, due to the complexity of the tasks, and for their personal safety.

15 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked how citizens can be involved in our clean-up efforts. We are considering mobilising volunteers for the final phase of the clean-up where remnant oil deposits hardened and mixed with sand, in the form of tar balls, will need to be sieved and separated for removal. This process is labour-intensive and if we have more hands to help, we can relieve the cleaners and accelerate the re-opening of the beaches. If and when volunteers are mobilised, we will tap on those who have registered with NParks, as well as many volunteer groups who have contacted me and MSE through social media and WhatsApp, after assessing that it is safe to do so. The Public Hygiene Council will help to train, equip and coordinate with volunteers for this effort. This would be a safe and meaningful way for Singaporeans to contribute to the re-opening of our beaches.

Food safety and water supply

16 I will now address questions on food safety and water quality, which Ms Cheryl Chan, Ms Rachel Ong and Mr Xie Yao Quan have raised.

17 To date, our fish farms remain unaffected by the oil spill. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been taking seafood samples from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. We are also monitoring the quality of imported fish and seafood. The test results continue to indicate that our local fish and imported fish are safe for consumption.

18 Ms Rachel Ong asked if real-time data from the Marine Environment Sensing Network (MESN) buoys can be made available on an hourly basis to fish farms and relevant NGO communities. I understand that the MESN currently deploys one buoy at St John’s Island, and real-time data that has been assessed to be of high confidence is publicly accessible on MESN’s online data platform.

19 There has been no impact to our water supply. Sensors at our five desalination plants, including at the Jurong Island Desalination Plant closest to the oil spill location, continue to show no abnormalities in the quality of seawater. In the event that any plant in Singapore’s water supply system is disrupted, PUB will step up production capacity in our remaining plants.

Conclusion

20 As we are now in the second phase of the clean-up operations, some of the precautionary measures adopted in the first phase, such as daily air monitoring at affected beaches and water quality monitoring for our fish farms, have become less pressing. Given that the conditions have stabilised, we will gradually step down measures that are no longer required so that agencies can focus on the current demands.

21 In conclusion, our agencies will continue to press on with cleaning operations, and monitor the quality of our air, food, and water, as well as the impact on affected stakeholders. I would like to thank the many cleaning personnel, supervisors and public officers who have worked tirelessly in the clean-up operations. I am also thankful for the support from service partners, volunteers and the public. We look forward to the next and final phase of operations, where we would be inviting volunteers to help with the clean-up, so that we can nurse our cherished environment back to health as soon as possible.

Footnote

¹ The cordoned-off areas include the foreshore of the beaches where clean-up is ongoing. When the clean-up is complete, the cordons will be removed. Unaffected areas of beaches, especially towards the backshore, have remained open throughout this period.