OIl Spill @ Rayong Beaches

[Sundance2020]

Oil still pollutes Rayong Beach



Following the second oil leak in Rayong, not only was leaked crude oil still on Mae Ramphueng Beach, but a Thai tourist says water reeked of oil and his body was covered in oily stains after a swim. Another local shared a picture of what looks like a coral-covered with a black strain. Locals say they are worried about the effects of the leaking oil on the natural resources and economy and wanted authorities to deal with the problem immediately.

Pathom Chumyen, the tourist who visited Mae Ramphueng Beach yesterday, told Thai media that he knew about the oil leak, but decided to travel there because Rayong authorities confirmed that there was no more oil in the ocean or on the beach. But when he went for a swim, the smell was so bad, he had to get out. He then noticed his body was covered with oily stains. He told Thai meida that he is worried about the effects on natural resources and wanted the authorities to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Yesterday, Thai media visited the beach and reported that Thai authorities and staff from the Star Petroleum Refining Public Company were cleaning the oil spill on the beach. Sticky black oil spread over a kilometre along the beach, and officers picked up the blobs of oil and put them into plastic bags.

In an interview with a local seller at the beach, she said that she is worried about business following the oil leak. If tourists can’t swim and enjoy the beach, she says, who will want to visit Rayong? She added that she hopes all relevant officers would fix the problem as soon as possible.

[Sundance2020]

Another leak found in underwater oil pipeline off the Rayong Coast



Another oil leak in the pipeline off the coast of Rayong has been reported by the Star Petroleum Refining Public Company, which has sent a letter to the Map Ta Phut Provincial Police Station asking permission to repair the pipe and prevent further environmental damage. Since late January, oil leaking from the pipes have polluted Rayong’s Mae Ramphueng Beach, with some swimmers complaining of a smell in the water, and oil sticking to their body.

On Tuesday, the company reported another leak found at an underwater pipeline north of the first leakage point and only a small amount of oil has leaked out over time. According to the letter, strong currents could cause more oil to be leaked and they have asked permission to immediately wrap the pipe to seal the leak.

Oil booms, 10 ships with degreaser spray, and oil skimmers are on standby if there happens to be a leak while the pipeline is being repaired. The repairing process is now waiting to start after the approval from the authorities from Map Ta Phut Provincial Police Station and Marine Department.

In Mae Ramphueng Beach, where the oil slicks washed up on the beach, hundreds of tourism operators have filed complaints asking for compensation for losses related to the oil leak, according to the advisor to the Rayong Tourism Council.

“The Tourism Council is gathering data on the damages suffered by Rayong’s tourism businesses, which had earned around 950 million baht in January… We will use this figure along with an estimation of tourism revenue in the following months to calculate the total compensation.”

[Logan]

More oil found on different beaches in Rayong

Following the report on another leak found in the underwater pipeline yesterday, the Rayong governor said that – for a third time – oil had seeped out of the pipes and slicks had rented up on various beaches, including Laem Mae Pim and Laem Charoen Beaches. Local fishers say oil slicks were found at around five nautical miles from the shore. Officers and specialists hired by Star Petroleum Refining Public Company are now working on samples picked up from different beaches.

Yesterday evening, Thai media reported that Rayong Governor Charnchana Iamsaeng announced a third oil leak from the offshore undersea pipeline of the Star Petroleum Refining Public Company. The governor shared that officers handled the situation immediately after the leak was detected, spraying degreaser and using oil booms to control the spread of the oil.

Rayong residents shared with Thai media that they found oil spills, black strains, and yellow-black foam on the beaches and in the ocean. According to the report on Laem Charoen Beach, black strains were spreading over 300 metres along the coast. The sea here also featured the yellow-black bubbles expected to come from the leaked oil. Laem Mae Pim reportedly had black strains and oil spills on the beach as well.

Today, officers from the environmental auditing company, Health and Envitech, who were hired from the oil company, visited Laem Charoen Beach to gather samples for further investigation. The officers shared that they would continue picking more samples on different beaches from Map Ta Phut district to Koh Samed.

The oil company announced plans to offer compensation to the residents affected by the oil spill. The company divided the people and businesses into four groups, including local fishers, hotels, restaurants, and other careers that were affected by accident. The manager says more than 8,000 people registered for the compensation. The first group will get paid at the end of the month.

[Logan]

Swimmers, beach-goers advised to avoid 3 areas of beach affected by Rayong oil spill

Red flags have been placed at Rayong’s Mae Ram Phueng beach, following a recent oil spill in the eastern province, with officials advising swimmers to stay away, again. According to a Thai PBS World report, the Pollution Control Department says high levels of total petroleum hydrocarbon have been detected in the areas and people should not swim in the water or play in the sand.

The contamination follows a January 25 oil leak from a ruptured pipeline owned by the Star Petroleum Refining Company, which emptied around 47,000 litres of crude oil into the sea. A second leak followed on February 10, this time involving 5,000 litres.

Yesterday, PCD chief Attapol Charoenchansa said inspectors found unsafe levels of TPH in 3 areas of Mae Ram Phueng beach. The levels exceed the standard level by 1.5 times and Attapol says the provincial governor has been asked to place red flags at the affected locations and to close the areas to swimmers and other beach-goers.

The PCD says its inspectors will continue to monitor the area until the TPH levels come down. Attapol says substances from the oil leak are still being discovered in the waters off Rayong.

There’s also been another dump of oil, this time the captain of an ageing oil tanker is facing charges for violating the Navigation in Thai Waters Act by discharging around 3,000 litres of oil into the sea off Chon Buri province.

A Royal Thai Navy spokesman reported yesterday that the 30 – 40 year old tanker was found to have discharged oil mixed with water into the sea, as it was cruising in the Gulf of Thailand west of Koh Chuang in Sattahip district, about 15 kilometres south west from the Rayong main city area.