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Oil spill clean-up at East Coast Park complete, all beaches reopened

SINGAPORE: All the beachfronts at East Coast Park have been reopened following the completion of oil spill clean-up operations, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Sunday (Aug 11). 
“While it is safe to access the beachfront and engage in non-primary contact water sports, the public is advised against swimming and primary contact water activities such as wakeboarding and stand-up paddling in the beach waters,” NParks said in a Facebook post. 
It did not specify when it would be safe to participate in such activities at the park. 
In an update on Facebook on Monday, the National Environment Agency said that the beach at Kusu Island has also reopened.
“There’s more good news at Kusu Island – the beach has re-opened and all water activities including swimming and other primary contact water activities can resume,” the agency said. 
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Aug 7 that plans are underway to complete the cleaning of all beaches affected by the oil spill in June “within the next one month or so”.
In mid-June, a Netherlands-flagged dredger hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel, causing some oil from a cargo tank on 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.
Speaking in parliament, Ms Fu said the clean-up operation was “progressing well”, adding that its first phase had been completed.
The second phase of the operation, which focuses on difficult-to-clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters and oil trapped deeper in the sand, is well underway, she added.
On Aug 3, Siloso Beach at Sentosa reopened for water activities – one-and-a-half months ahead of schedule.

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