Cleaning of all beaches affected by oil spill to be completed ‘within the next one month or so’: Grace Fu

SINGAPORE: Plans are underway to complete the cleaning of all beaches affected by the oil spill in June “within the next one month or so”, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Wednesday (Aug 7).
She was responding to parliamentary questions posed by Members of Parliament Dennis Tan and Melvin Yong.
Both Mr Tan (WP-Hougang) and Mr Yong (PAP-Radin Mas) asked for an update on the status of the clean-up work on beaches and coastal areas. 
Mr Yong also asked the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment for a timeline on the reopening of all the affected beaches for public use. 
In mid-June, a Netherlands-flagged dredger hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel, causing some oil from the damaged cargo tank of the bunker vessel to spill into the water.
The oil slick spread to multiple beaches around Singapore, including those at East Coast Park and Sentosa.
Three weeks ago, Ms Fu said the oil spill clean-up operations were progressing “faster than expected”.
This came about a month after her initial assessment of a three-month wait before the progressive reopening of affected beaches.
In an update to the House on Wednesday, she said the clean-up operation was “progressing well”, adding that the first phase had been completed.
The second phase, which focuses on difficult-to-clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters and oil trapped deeper in the sand, is well underway, Ms Fu added. 
“Some beaches have progressed to the final phase, where volunteers are mobilised to participate in the clean-up and accelerate the reopening of the beaches.”
The beaches will be reopened as clean-up operations are completed, Ms Fu added. 
Last Saturday, Siloso Beach at Sentosa reopened for water activities – one-and-a-half months ahead of the expected timeline. 
Some parts of East Coast Park also reopened for land-based activities. The public was advised in late July not to swim or undertake primary contact water sports such as wakeboarding and stand-up paddling in the beach waters.
“We plan to complete the cleaning of all affected beaches within the next one month or so,” Ms Fu told parliament on Wednesday.
In a supplementary question, Mr Tan asked about the expenses incurred so far. 
To this, Ms Fu said the government had not totalled up the cost of expenses “at this point in time”. 
“We are focusing our attention on the actual cleaning up, which I think deserves our priority, and also our urgent attention,” said the minister.