At about 2350 hrs on 3rd January 2017, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified by the Johor Port Authority (JPA) of a collision between Singapore-registered container vessel WAN HAI 301 and a Gibraltar-registered container vessel APL DENVER off Pasir Gudang Port, Johor Malaysia.
The Master of APL DENVER reported that one of her bunker tanks sustained damage resulting in approximately 300 tonnes of oil spillage. JPA has deployed four anti-pollution craft on site and an oil boom around APL DENVER to contain the oil spill.
In Singapore, some oil patches were spotted and the spillage has been contained off the western side of Pulau Ubin. MPA has activated a total of eight anti-pollution craft with dispersant spraying capabilities to clean up the spilled oil.
There have been no reports of injury. Traffic in the East Johor Straits and Singapore’s port operations remains unaffected.
Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the penalty is as per regulations under the Environment Quality Act 1974, which holds both ships responsible for the costs of removing the oil spill.
“As assurance that the ship owners will do the cleaning works, under the provision of Section 38 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, they have each placed a RM1 million bond to complete the clean-up works and contain the oil spill from further destroying the environment,” Ayub told reporters today after meeting with the state Department of Environment and representatives of the Johor Port Authority.
Ayub said owners of the Singapore-registered MT Wan Hai 301 and Gibraltar-registered APL Denver, which were involved in the 11.45pm collision off Pasir Gudang on Tuesday, have been called in.
The companies have given their full co-operation on carrying out the clean-up works.
Ayub said the oil spill has reached the shores of fishing villages within a one square kilometre area.
He said the three fishing villages affected are Kampung Pasir Putih, Kampung Teluk Kabung and Kampung Perigi Aceh, where a total of 10 fish farms have been affected by oil contamination.
Ayub said he has asked the Fisheries Department to help with the registration of more than 300 fishermen for possible compensation, as their sources of income has been disrupted.
-NST
