REACH 581 - What are your thoughts about the oil spill clean-up efforts up till today? Are you sufficiently assured of the efforts to contain the oil spill and address the effects of the oil spill?

(SK)

24 Jun 2024 (10am - 7pm)

REACH

24/6/24, 10:44 am - +REACH: *Dear Contributors,*

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24/6/24, 10:46 am - +REACH: *📢 Topic 📢*

On Jun 22 (Sat), it was reported that over 71,000kg of oil-soaked sand has been scooped up at the three Sentosa beaches since June 15, a day after the incident happened. 

💬 *What are your thoughts about the oil spill clean-up efforts up till today? Are you sufficiently assured of the efforts to contain the oil spill and address the effects of the oil spill?*

In a Facebook post on June 20, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said she had visited Sentosa to observe the ongoing cleanup process, which “involves a lot of hard work”.

Minister Grace Fu added that the immediate focus is to stop the oil spill from spreading inwards, adding that over 71,000kg of oil-soaked sand has since been scooped up at Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong beaches, whose shorelines were blackened after the oil spill.

“We therefore seek the public’s patience and understanding that more time is needed for the cleanup work along the beachfronts. Before reopening, we also need to ensure that water quality is within safe levels,”

Aside from the Sentosa beaches, affected areas also include the shoreline along Labrador Nature Reserve, East Coast Park and Tanah Merah. However, Minister Grace Fu said the National Environmental Agency has cleaned up most of these areas. 

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has engaged an oil spill recovery company for the clean up efforts shortly after the incident happened. 

However, poor weather conditions have also delayed the laying of booms around damaged ship. The workers’ speed was impeded by strong winds and poor visibility in heavy rain, as they had to take precautions not to fall.

Under ideal weather conditions, deploying 200m of booms takes about an hour from the time the response vessel reaches the site until the booms are positioned and secured, Captain Sahai, the managing director of T&T Salvage Asia said. Stronger and sturdier booms take longer to deploy, and stronger currents can slow boats and delay the process.

On June 20, the authorities said that 3.4km of booms had been deployed since June 14 across affected sites to contain the spill. 

[ST] https://str.sg/ydTE 

[ST] https://str.sg/Kyi2

[CNA]https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/oil-spill-cleanup-sentosa-beaches-siloso-4430266?cid=internal_sharetool_iphone_24062024_cna

24/6/24, 10:46 am - ~ REACH Singapore changed this group's settings to allow all members to send messages to this group

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24/6/24, 10:56 am - +Kenneth Lee WM: From what I'm reading in the straitstimes, the procedures can be improved.  eg: once ship collide and oil spill is reported, activities should happen in parallel. oil collection boats and booms should start to be transferred to collision site whilst assessment is being done.  right now, things are done in sequence which delayed the capturing of the oil.

what troubles me is that I do not read of anything reported about trying to improve the processes.  There are no mention of drills being done to hone the people and make them familiar with all the procedures, etc.  Instead everyone is trying to show that they have already done their best.  I do not doubt that they have done their best, but squential activities are not the fastest way to tackle time critical accidents.

24/6/24, 11:03 am - +Frankie Wee: There is a risk on sea when spill oil. What will happening heat or itself set fire?

There a marine life saving planet need an equipment to protect away from spill oil.

24/6/24, 11:05 am - +Frankie Wee: https://www.oilspillprevention.org/oil-spill-cleanup/ocean-oil-spill-cleanup

24/6/24, 11:13 am - +Rama: Another issue is the oil stuck between the rocks.  Cost of cleaning up!?

24/6/24, 11:14 am - +Frankie Wee: https://www.oilspillresponse.com/news--media/blog/how-we-respond-to-oil-spills-and-work-to-prevent-marine-pollution-worldwide/

24/6/24, 11:15 am - +Frankie Wee: Government pay cost of money to cleanup

24/6/24, 11:16 am - +Frankie Wee: https://www.ecocoast.com/environment/oil-booms/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADzLspzykMwb9DlDWaE71z6QJ2bVw

24/6/24, 12:16 pm - +Rama: To claim from!?

24/6/24, 12:23 pm - +Andrew Ang: Those companies which are causing the oil spillage...

24/6/24, 12:44 pm - +Frankie Wee: MPA

24/6/24, 12:44 pm - +Rama: Don't think so.

24/6/24, 1:18 pm - +~l or Smiely face: "We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world."

--  Wangari Maathai, (Nobel Peace Prize, 1/4/40 – 25/9/11)

24/6/24, 1:34 pm - +Rama: So, the penalty for non compliance has to be fair. Subsidies voucher for purchase of refrigerator,  air con, washing machine must have the maximum ticks to help with containing climate change somehow!

24/6/24, 1:54 pm - +KL: Now more than 200 Malaysian fish farmer going to claim from us ( note that is not sg pay but those ship companies) I wonder how it floats so fast ? Cos June got no monsoon due to Sumatra ridges . <This message was edited>

24/6/24, 1:57 pm - +~l or Smiely face: At national Level and at cross border level....it will be a Multi party claimants pointing to the spiller!

24/6/24, 2:00 pm - +REACH: *📢 Topic 📢*

24/6/24, 2:07 pm - +~l or Smiely face: "Mental Sum"  (心理有数)

Let's comprehensively calculate all costs, including environmental damages, economic losses, and impacts on livelihoods. Prior to litigation, we should establish a provisional budget to cover potential damages. In the event that the responsible party's funds are insufficient, a contingency budget should be allocated to cover the shortfall. This contingency amount will serve as the final settlement figure.

What are the forseeable Costs?

1. Environmental damages

2. Cleanup costs

3. Economic losses (e.g., impact on fisheries, tourism, and local businesses)

4. Livelihood impacts (e.g., compensation for affected communities)

5. Legal fees and litigation costs

24/6/24, 2:10 pm - +~l or Smiely face: "Black to Back! The Singapore oil spill serves as a reminder of the need for collective action to protect our environment. As we learned from this incident and taking collective action, we can create a more sustainable future for all. In big and small ways, our cleanup efforts have showcased the transformative power of community spirit, uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds in a shared quest to restore our environment. This collective achievement serves as a shining example, illuminating a path towards a future where environmental stewardship is a universal value that transcends boundaries and ideologies, inspiring a better tomorrow for all."

-- anonymity

24/6/24, 2:11 pm - +Frankie Wee: Is there a law of sea in traffic with buoyancy

24/6/24, 2:15 pm - +~l or Smiely face: Real World Examples:

- Green shipping technologies: Maersk's carbon-neutral vessels, Hapag-Lloyd's LNG-powered ships

- Sustainable shipping practices: IMO's Energy Efficiency Design Index, EU's MRV regulation

- Marine protected areas: UNESCO's Marine World Heritage Sites, EU's Natura 2000 network

- Research and development: EU's Horizon Europe programme, US's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants

- International cooperation: IMO's Global Maritime Partnerships, UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

24/6/24, 2:16 pm - +~l or Smiely face: Choose all the above and the "at fault parties" will...

24/6/24, 2:17 pm - +~l or Smiely face: In whatsoever endings and reasonings, ..."laylong the ships"?

24/6/24, 2:30 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. I recall last week in a food court, I witness someone accidentally topple a large coke with the lid on.

Luckily, the lid is still intact, but quite a large volume of coke spill out from the small opening of the coke.

It spread around the floor in a split second (without wave helping the spread unlike in the sea).

The first reaction, the woman immediately pick up the topple coke and put it upright. This stop the spill immediately.

Then I notice the spill flow under the table in my direction (without the help of the wave) - and this is about a few seconds - before I can even understand what is happening.

By the time, i start to cognized the entire incident, I realise the spill has already spill to underneath her table and stop there without coming to mine.

The spill also go to her neighboring table up front.

The cleaner, a young China national male happen to walk past. He immediately calm the woman down not to panic, look around the mess and survey how far the spill spread, to which areas. Notice the spill spread to 2 tables underneath. Only after he did a detail survey, before he walk towards the back of food court, and come back with a yellow "water caution" sign and a mop.

This take about 5 minutes to do so.

So in total, without the help of the wave in the sea, the spill damage coverage is 2 tables - and this take up about 10 minutes to stop the spill and assess the damage.

Then the cleaner start to place the "caution sign" at a strategic location to warn people, shift the chairs from the 2 tables and start to mop the floor.

All these take about 20 minutes.

In total, 30 minutes to clear the mess.

My assessment is, at the split second when the coke drop, the spill take place and the spread of the coke on the floor ---- it is about a few seconds. (Even without the help of the sea waves).

I figure if Bruce Lee come or IP Man or Jet Li comes and with lightning speed, react when the coke drop and spill ---- to pick up the coke, survey the spill, put up the warning sign, shift all the chairs and start mopping the spill with lightning speed ---- the first few seconds before those supermen react --- would have already cause the damage and spill spread.

Even Bruce Lee - Jit Kun do - "be water" --- cannot stop the water spill that spread in a few seconds to a large area (even without the help of a sea wave) - based on the Law of Physics.

24/6/24, 2:58 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. Now I try to put the spill coke analogy into the container oil spill in the open sea - and try to visualize the impact of the oil spill.

2. When the dredger bang into the container fuel tank, the big opening of the fuel tank will have spill the oil into the sea (1/2 tank 400 ton of oil spill into the sea). I envisage, the first 11 minutes will have spill 400 ton of oil spill into the sea through the opening of the fuel tank.

3. 11 minutes response time by MPA to connect with the crews of the damaged container to turn the engine around and stop the spill from the remaining of the other half of the fuel tank of another 400 ton of fuel from the damage container - is a respectable fast respond.

4. As read, MPA immediately activate the oil spill contractor with boom to wrap around the damage ship to contain the oil spill.

But with rain, strong waves, rough sea --- deploying the boom is a challenge - and need to ensure the safety of the workers without falling into the sea, drenched by the toxic spill oil.

5. The strong waves will have already start to spread the oil spill.

I recall reading when aircraft crash, the strong waves can spread the debris 100 km away.

Hence I am not surprise is a big feat to stop the spread of the oil spill within such a limited time.

6. Before deploying more resources to contain the spread of the oil spill, accurate surveillance will be imperative --- and this will need aerial surveillance such as deploying drones, as well as sea surveillance, surrounding coastal surveillance - which involve deploying - I believe hundred of trained workers - even with the help of advanced technologies.

Because strong waves can spread the oil spill unpredictably in all directions.

What i read from overseas oil spill --- is equally daunting. And usually, the damage is far more devastating - because rescue team are far less organised than Singapore. It takes many months to clean up the mess.

7. Only after detail surveillance on the spread, can the appropriate resources and manpower be deployed to tackle the spill --- in fact an all government agencies effort and private sector efforts, and community efforts activated to contain the spread.

8. Correspond to the analogy of coke spill, the oil spread will have similar impact but magnified few hundred times.

And compounding the spill that is absent from the coke spill - the oil spill is compounded by additional unpredictable factor - the sea waves which help accelerate the spread into many directions - depending on the ever changing waves and wind.

9. Hence my assessment of the current Government effort - is that despite all odds and challenges - the Government has respond and did considerably well in stopping the spill, containing the oil spill and the subsequent clean up operations.

Though it will take a bit more time to further clean up the crevices, nook and corner of the polluted coastlines.

24/6/24, 3:06 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. Singapore do have contingency plan, training of various defence forces, emergency response team and maritime response team ---- conducting annual mobilisation exercise on real live scenarios.

2. Such exercises are done internally across the various related government agencies and private contractors.

3. And sometimes, such exercises are done bi-laterally or multi-laterally with friendlly neighboring countries.

4. I recall Singapore do conduct join maritime exercise with Malaysia, specifically Johor.

5. Hence I am not surprised with the 11 minutes response time, and the subsequent ramp up of all government and private contractors effort to contain the oil spill - as such emergency scenarios have been trained on and mobilisation conducted.

6. However, this oil spill provide a valuable lessons for our maritime response team --- and lessons learned can be incorporated to our contingency plan to make our future response even better.

24/6/24, 3:09 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: <Media omitted>

24/6/24, 3:10 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: <Media omitted>

24/6/24, 3:11 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: <Media omitted>

24/6/24, 3:15 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. Hence comparing the impact of our current oil spill - versus those happen overseas who are much developed, much endowed, much technological advance - I commended that our Government effort in containing the current oil spill is commendable - for in just 2 weeks -- the oil spill is stopped, spread is contained and cleanup have be done so fast and so extensive - except some crevices, nook and cracks.

2. Our planning, preparation, yearly training and live exercises with real scenarios --- have make our maritime emergency response team on the tip-top position.

3. Kudos must be given when due.

24/6/24, 3:21 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

"Oil spill clean-up: Singapore to seek compensation from owner of stationary ship that was hit by another vessel".

This ship suay - kenna hit, yet kenna sue for oil leaks.

 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/oil-spill-compensation-owner-marine-honour-bunker-vessel-4423686#:~:text=Oil%20spill%20clean%2Dup%3A%20Singapore%20to%20seek%20compensation%20from%20owner%20of%20stationary%20ship%20that%20was%20hit%20by%20another%20vessel

24/6/24, 3:24 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. After the cleanup - damage assessment must be done.

2. How much we spend for cleaning the oil spill, coastlines etc. How much losses our business along the coastline sustain etc must be computed to seek compensation from the damage ships insurers.

3. Even Johor impacted oil spillage losses - should be claim against the container ship insurer.

4. The damage container ship loss - should in term be claimed from the dredger that bang it.

5. This will close the loop of compensation.

24/6/24, 3:31 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: <Media omitted>

24/6/24, 3:32 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

Oil spill in US - 1,770 km coastline cutting across 3 US states polluted.

24/6/24, 3:33 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: <Media omitted>

24/6/24, 3:33 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

It takes 10 months to clean up the oil spill.

24/6/24, 3:35 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

Correspondingly, Singapore take 2 weeks to almost clean up the major portion of the polluted coastlines.

Now only left some crevices, cracks and nooks.

So in comparison, Singapore containment of oil spill is indeed commendable.

Our planning, preparation and yearly training make our response team done a superb job 👍。

24/6/24, 4:04 pm - +REACH: *📢 Topic 📢*

24/6/24, 5:03 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

See the impact of tsunami waves.

How fast can it spread?

Non-stoppable.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ETK2VM9-UHI?feature=shared

24/6/24, 5:05 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

If there is an oil spill, if the waves is very strong - imagine what will be the spread of the oil spill?

Can even superman stop the spread of the oil spill?

24/6/24, 5:06 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

This is the Law of Physics.

Nature elements versus human strength.

24/6/24, 5:17 pm - +Frankie Wee: International law take action against owner shipyard’s spill oil and its cost millions dollars to cleanup.

24/6/24, 5:19 pm - +Frankie Wee: I wonder how international law could help Philippines’s sea when China threat territory over disputed sea

24/6/24, 5:21 pm - +Rama: It could not as China did not respect the ruling against them nor did they appeal!

24/6/24, 5:22 pm - +REACH: *Removal of oil from seas, beaches nearly completed; cleanup of spill enters next phase* 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/removal-of-oil-from-seas-beaches-nearly-completed-clean-up-of-spill-enters-next-phase

24/6/24, 5:23 pm - +Rama: Singapore took a beating then from the Chinese press for standing up for the Philippines then.

24/6/24, 5:25 pm - +Frankie Wee: Then why Philippines govt agreed to join BRICS its case happened

24/6/24, 5:25 pm - +Frankie Wee: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/brics-malaysia-thailand-indonesia-bloc-asean-4426441

24/6/24, 5:25 pm - +Frankie Wee: China likely take action without international law

24/6/24, 5:26 pm - +Frankie Wee: China economy very risk when collapsing

24/6/24, 5:34 pm - +REACH: Booms around damaged vessel ‘preventive’, not meant to fence in spilt oil: Chee Hong Tat

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/booms-around-damaged-vessel-preventive-and-not-to-fence-in-spilt-oil-chee-hong-tat

24/6/24, 5:36 pm - +REACH: Action plan to protect and restore coastal habitats after oil spill in the works: Desmond Lee

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/action-plan-to-protect-and-restore-coastal-habitats-after-oil-spill-in-the-works-desmond-lee

24/6/24, 6:01 pm - +REACH: *📢 Topic 📢*

24/6/24, 6:11 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

I think reaching this stage in just 2 weeks of :-

1. Stop oil spill 

2. Contain spill spread 

3. Cleaning up major pollution in the sea and the coastal lines

are a commendable effort.

Good jobs!

Next phase is more delicate and precise cleaning to ensure:-

1. Oil go deep in sands are removed.

2. Water quality are ensure to allow water activities to take place.

3. Desalination water is safe to drink.

4. Oil embedded in crevices, bunds, nooks are thoroughly clean up.

5. Sea activities business can resume operations as normal eg. Yatching, canoeing, swimming, beach sun surfing, beach netball, football, beach barbeque etc can be carried out as normal.

So compare to oil spill overseas, Singapore cleaning and restoration efforts are more surgical, thorough and well organised.

Good jobs !!!

24/6/24, 6:40 pm - ☸️  Danny 心: 

6. And lastly, fish catch is safe to eat.

24/6/24, 6:43 pm - +~l or Smiley face: Swift & Effective? It's not easy! Minimising oil spills is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach, involving various stakeholders and factors. A combination of good ship maintenance and management, crew knowledge and training, responsibilities of ship owners, effective communication and coordination between Port Authority and ships, and timely and adequate response measures is crucial. Any weakness in one area can lead to an increased risk of oil spills. Collective effort and vigilance are essential in preventing oil spills and protecting our environment.

24/6/24, 6:50 pm - +REACH: Dear contributors, 

We would love to hear more from you! We will be extending the chat to *7.30pm* today.

Megan😊

24/6/24, 6:55 pm - +Andy: I'm no expert in this but from what I read, credits go to everyone that plays whether small or big part in cleaning up the mess. Important is that if such incidents or other types of accidents happen, can we respond faster and better. Accidents will happen, as a nation how we rise to the occasion and prove to the world a red dot can and will handle it effectively and best possible way.

24/6/24, 6:59 pm - +~l or Smiely face: <Media omitted>

24/6/24, 7:15 pm - +REACH: *Dear Contributors,*

⏰ We will be closing the chat in *15 minutes* ⏰

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

24/6/24, 7:29 pm - +REACH: *Dear Contributors,*

We will be closing the chat for today.

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

24/6/24, 7:29 pm - ~ REACH Singapore changed this group's settings to allow only admins to send messages to this group

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