XN000022-1976-09-25 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1976

+THE GROSSLY UNPLEASANT AND OFTEN INDIVIDUALLY EXPENSIVE CONSEQUENCES OF OIL CONTAMINATION OF BATHING BEACHES ARE WELL KNOWN AND NEED NO FURTHER ELABORATION, IT SAID.

+ IT IS SUFFICIENT TO SAY THAT FOR VARIOUS SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL REASONS EVERY EFFORT MUST BE MADE TO STOP OIL POLLUTION REACHING THE BEACHES,+ IT ADDED.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS HAD BEEN ENDORSED BY THE PORT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, EPCOM, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE FLAT-BOTTOMED ANTI-OIL POLLUTION VESSEL, MR. MASON POINTED OUT, WOULD BE ABOUT NINE METRES (ABOUT 30 FEET) IN LENGTH AND WOULD BE CAPABLE OF A SPEED OF 20 KNOTS.

HE SAID THE VESSEL WOULD BE FITTED WITH THE FOLLOWING ANTI-OIL POLLUTION EQUIPMENT:

*

*

EQUIPMENT FOR SPRAYING CHEMICALS, THIS METHOD BEING THE QUICKEST WAY OF EFFECTIVELY DEALING WITH ANY OIL SLICK. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF IMPROVED LOW TOXICITY CHEMICALS

THIS METHOD IS ACCEPTED IN A WIDE RANGE OF ENVIRONMENTS. NON-TOXIC RECOVERY EQUIPMENT FOR RECLAIMING OIL WHERE THE SPRAYING OF DISPERSANT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, NEAR OYSTER BEDS OR FISH REARING FARMS. THE REQUIRED SYSTEM USES A 220-MILLIMETRE THICK ROPE-LIKE MOP OF SPECIALLY FORMULATED FIBRES TO ABSORB OIL WHILST REJECTING WATER.

* STORAGE FOR RECOVERED OIL. OIL RECOVERED FROM THE SEA

BY THIS METHOD NEEDS TO BE STORED AND MOVED AND THIS CAN BE DONE BY USING A DRACONE (FLOATING TANK), A LARGE FLEXIBLE SAUSAGE-SHAPED CONTAINER, WHICH PROVIDES ECONOMIC BULK TRANSPORTATION OF ALL LIQUIDS LIGHTER THAN

*

SEA WATER.

CLEARANCE PACK FOR THE COLLECTION OF

FLOATING DEBRIS

AND DRIFTWOOD. IT CONSISTS OF A WIRE MESH SCOOP.

COMMENTING ON THE PRESENT SITUATION IN THE HARBOUR AREA WHERE FLEETS OF SMALL MOTOR CARGO BOATS AND SAMPANS ARE DAILY COLLECTING TONS OF RUBBISH, MR. MASON SAID: IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, REFUSE COLLECTED FROM THE SEA AND FROM OCEAN GOING SHIPS AVERAGED 11-1/2 TONS A DAY.

+BUT THE FIGURE IS INCREASING. THE DAILY AVERAGE NOW STANDS AT 11 TONS FROM THE SEA AND TWO TONS FROM OCEAN-GOING VESSELS. THESE VESSELS ARE SERVICED BY REFUSE COLLECTING VESSELS UNDER CONTRACT TO THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.

+THIS YEAR WE HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED EXTRA FUNDS TO DEPLOY MORE CRAFT TO CARRY OUT SUCH TASKS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE HARBOUR.

+ORIGINALLY, THE AMOUNT ALLOCATED FOR THIS FINANCIAL YEAR'S HARBOUR REFUSE COLLECTION WORK BY SAMPANS AND MOTORISED BOATS WAS 31.27 MILLION. THIS FIGURE HAS BEEN INCREASED BY A GRANT OF AN EXTRA $190,000.

+THIS EXTRA AMOUNT MEANS THAT WE CAN ADD 10 MORE VESSELS TO THE PRESENT FLEST OF 31 SCAVANGING LOATS, HE SAID.

/SINCE LATE