Singapore’s government agencies will seek compensation from the owner of the Singapore-flagged ship that leaked fuel after being struck by another vessel, resulting in an oil spill on June 14th. The compensation will cover the costs incurred as a result of the spill.
On June 20TH, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said that “The owner of the Singapore-flagged ship is liable for the costs incurred, and the ship has insurance coverage to meet this liability.”
It proposed that this comes under the Merchant Shipping (Civil Liability and Compensation for Oil Pollution) Act 1998, which gives effect to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage 1969, which was revised in 1992.
Compensation For Oil Spill Cleanup Costs And Damages
MPA stated that Singapore’s government agencies will seek compensation for the “cost of all measures taken to contain and clean up the spill, including where damage was caused to infrastructure” after the cleanup operation.
“Costs for measures reasonably taken after the spill, resulting economic losses, and environmental damage arising from the contamination can be assessed for claims,” they added.
A Closer Look At Oil Spill Incident
The oil spill incident was caused when the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit Marine Honour at the Pasir Panjang Terminal, leaking 400 tonnes of fuel into the sea on June 14th.
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The joint statement from Singapore authorities on June 20 confirmed that as of 5 pm on June 19, the beaches on St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu islands no longer had oily sand, indicating successful cleanup efforts. Additionally, the northern part of Pasir Panjang Terminal had also been cleared of oil slicks, signifying progress in addressing the aftermath of the oil spill incident.
The last time a large amount of oil leaked into Singapore’s waters was in 2014, when three ship collisions in January and February caused a total of 760 tonnes of fuel to pollute Singapore’s waters.
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