S’pore, M’sia in chemical spill joint exercise

SINGAPORE — A total of 24 agencies from Singapore and Malaysia took part in a joint exercise to tackle chemical spill incidents at the Second Link in Tuas today (May 14). The crossing is a designated route for vehicles transporting hazardous materials.

The exercise saw Singapore and Malaysian personnel from various agencies coming together to bring the situation under control following a simulated collision involving vehicles transporting hazardous chemicals. The “accident” involved two vehicles carrying hazardous chemicals — a chemical tanker transporting ammonium hydroxide and a lorry with drums of hydrochloric acid, some of which fell into the sea after the drums rolled off the vehicle during the collision.

Eight agencies from Singapore, including the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Singapore Civil Defence Force, took part in the exercise, which lasted about an hour.

Each year, about 110,000 tonnes of hazardous chemicals are transported between the two countries via the Second Link. While there has been no accident involving their transportation so far, the exercise helps to enhance the capabilities of the agencies involved, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

“(This) exercise has demonstrated the readiness and preparedness of the agencies on both sides…they are able to respond effectively and properly (to) any chemical incident on the second link,” said NEA Chief Executive Officer Ronnie Tay in a media interview after the exercise was completed.

The 10th emergency response exercise was organised by the NEA and the Department of Environment from Malaysia. It is part of a bilateral cooperation programme under the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment.