In response to an inquiry from CNA, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) stated on Thursday that the Marine Honor shipowner is liable for the prices incurred and that the ship has insurance to cover this liability.
This falls under the Merchant Shipping (Civil Liability and Compensation for Oil Pollution) Act 1998, which supplies effect to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage 1969, which was later amended in 1992, the MPA said .
“The costs of measures reasonably taken after a spill resulting from economic losses and environmental damage resulting from contamination can be assessed in claims.”
Once the cleanup operation is accomplished, Singapore government agencies “will seek compensation for the prices of all measures taken to contain and clean up the spill, including damage to infrastructure,” the MPA said.
British Marine, Marine Honor’s insurer, has established a contact person for third-party claims submitted by injured individuals.
What happened
The spill occurred on Friday at around 2:20 p.m. from the Dutch-flagged dredger Vox Maxima, which hit the Singapore-flagged Marine Honor bunker on the Pasir Panjang terminal.
According to MPA, Vox Maxima reported a sudden lack of engine and steering control prior to its alliance with Marine Honor – this refers to a moving ship hitting a stationary object.
This caused one in every of the Marine Honor’s oil cargo tanks to rupture, releasing roughly 400 tonnes of low-sulfur fuel into the ocean.
The oil spread to several coastlines and washed up on many beaches on Saturday, staining the sand black and causing a stench of petrochemicals within the air.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on Tuesday that the incident was not brought on by port congestion, giving a temporary timeline of events.
In his latest update on Thursday, Chee said several beaches have been largely cleared of oil, but more work is required to completely clean them up.
“We are currently focused on removing oil spills and slicks from water and land, which are visible thanks to drone monitoring and satellite images,” he said.
“In the next phase, we would need to flush out ejected crude oil, such as that found on oil-covered rocks… The clean-up operation will take some time and I would like to seek the understanding of the citizens and businesses affected by this event.”
