vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn  

VUNG TAU — Authorities in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province have formulated a plan to clean up the oil spilled from a tanker late last week. Officials predict that the province’s beach enterprises will soon resume business as usual while the negative effects on the coastal environment and wildlife will be harder to repair.

According to the director of the local Science, Technology and Environment department (STED), Truong Thanh Cong, organic compounds will be used to mop up the 900cu.m of DO oil that poured into the sea after a Liberian ship ploughed into a Vietnamese tanker last Friday.

"The substance contains aerobic and anaerobic micro-organisms that can absorb or break up oil," he said. "It should be business as usual at the beaches soon."

After the accident occurred the STED and local sea rescue units applied a number of interim measures in an attempt to contain the oil slick. However it still spread to the beaches.

The oil is causing environmental mayhem at nearby tourist beaches and at coastal shrimp farms and mangrove forests.

While businesses might be back on-line soon, Cong said the environmental and ecological damage caused by the spill may take many years and a large amount of money to undo.

According to the STED’s initial surveys large numbers of marine fish have died as a result of the spill.

HCM City People’s Committee is working with the authorities of the coastal district of Can Gio, which lies 13km away from Vung Tau, to make sure that the slick does not spread to Can Gio’s waters.

The oil has not reached the Can Gio’ area yet, but the district’s Thanh An and Can Thanh communes have been instructed to be especially vigilant.

Oil spills have increased at domestic waters in recent years, causing severe damage to the environment. The cleanup operations have been, for the most part, slow and inefficient: localities and relevant agencies lack proper equipment, qualified personnel and adequate co-ordination. — VNS

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