Authorities issue safety measures following environmental concerns.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has advised against swimming and direct water activities near several beaches, including East Coast Park, Kusu Island, St John’s Island, and Lazarus Island, after an oil leak from Shell’s land-based pipeline at Pulau Bukom on 20 October.
Incident Overview
The leak, reported in the early hours of October 20, occurred when oil spilled into a holding area, with some overflow reaching the water channel between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil. It was stopped by 3 PM, seven hours after the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) was alerted.
Containment Efforts
Oil containment booms: Deployed at affected locations, including East Coast Park, West Coast Park, and Marina Barrage.
Boat clean-up operations: Managed by Shell, MPA, and Singapore Salvage Engineers.
Drones and satellites: Activated to monitor oil spread.
Emergency response specialists have also been engaged by Shell to mitigate environmental impact.
Impact on Beaches and Water Activities
Sentosa Island’s Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches remain unaffected. Preventive measures, such as oil-absorbent booms, have been set up. Meanwhile, NParks reported no oil sightings at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, and West Coast Park.
The NEA assured the public that the beaches not under restriction are safe for recreational activities.
Water and Environmental Safety
PUB confirmed no contamination near desalination plants at Keppel Marina East and Jurong Island, maintaining normal seawater quality. NParks also deployed additional protective measures at sensitive ecological sites like mangroves and marine parks.
Next Steps
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates. Shell is assessing the total volume of the spill and continues cleanup operations in partnership with environmental agencies.
