The Jakarta Post 14 Feb 11;
An oil slick, reportedly from a vessel bearing a Singaporean flag, has stopped at least 300 fishermen from going out to sea in Tanjung Berakit, Bintan, Riau Islands, an official says.
Bintan Environmental Impact Management Agency head Karya Hermawan told tempointeraktif.com Monday that he was not sure if it was sludge from the ship’s engine or oil from another source. The oil has damaged fishermen’s fishing gear, he said.
The oil had spread up o six kilometers along Padang Lamun Beach, he said.
He said the oil came from a tanker during a cleanup of the vessel and was dumped at night when the north wind was blowing toward Batam. Bintan and Tanjung Pinang.
The agency conducted a cleanup, putting the oil in sacks, in an attempt to prevent the oil from spreading, he said, adding that an investigation was under way.
A fisherman said the pollution became apparent in the wee hours of Saturday. He recalled that sacks containing similar black oil had been found in the water several years ago.
Oil Waste Pollutes Bintan Waters
Tempo Interactive 16 Feb 11;
TEMPO Interactive, Batam:The waters in Bintan, Riau Archipelago, have been polluted with oil, preventing hundreds of fishermen from fishing. The black oil is suspected to have been leaked by a foreign ship anchoring in Singaporean waters. “As usual, when there is the northern wind, there is this sludge oil B3 waste,” said Karya Hermawan, Bintan Environmental Impact Control Board (BAPEDAL) chief, last Monday.
According to Karya, the oil slick is 6 kilometers long across Padang Lamun Beach, Bintan. He is certain the oil is from a foreign ship that was cleaning a tanker in Singapore. Karya said the oil is normally thrown to the sea at night, when the northern wind blows to Batam, Bintan and Tanjung Pinang.
RUMBADI DALLE
