MPA deploys patrol and oil spill response craft after oil patch spotted off Pulau Ubin
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The National Environment Agency advised the public against swimming and other primary contact water activities at at Changi Beach (above) and Pasir Ris Beach until further notice.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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SINGAPORE – The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has deployed three patrol craft after an oil patch was sighted in the eastern Johor Strait off the north-eastern coast of Pulau Ubin.
The oil patch was sighted at 7.10pm, said MPA in a statement on April 3, adding that an oil spill response craft was also deployed.
The team on board will survey the area and carry out mitigation efforts, said MPA.
“Relevant government agencies have been informed and they are taking necessary precautionary measures and are monitoring the situation closely,” it said.
The Johor Port Authority, which MPA said it is liaising with, has confirmed an oil spill incident within the Langsat Terminal, located near the mouth of the Johor River.
MPA added that navigational traffic in the area remains unaffected and that it will provide updates of significant developments.
In a Facebook post that followed MPA’s announcement, the National Environment Agency (NEA) advised the public against swimming and other primary contact water activities at Changi Beach and Pasir Ris Beach until further notice.
Primary contact activities are those where a person’s whole body or face and trunk are frequently immersed, and it is likely that some water will be swallowed. They include wakeboarding, windsurfing and water immersion training.
NEA added that parts of Changi Beach will be cordoned off to facilitate clean-up operations.
