Chief says palm oil spill cleared

THE sea and shores where a palm oil spill occurred in Kimbe early this month have been cleaned, National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) general manager and chief executive officer Paul Unas says.
“The clean-up was a joint effort by the authority, Conservation Environment Protection Authority (Cepa), the West New Britain Health Authority, police and New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL),” Unas said.
“The spill had minimal effect on the coastline and marine life.”
Unas said investigations revealed the spill was caused by a NBPOL storage tank. “The tank’s valve was unsecured after the pumping of palm oil on to the vessel for export,” he added.
Unas said in a media statement yesterday that it was fortunate NMSA responded instantly.
“Though the marine environmental impact was minimal, it caused socially-related woes.
“We and concerned stakeholders have conducted health, safety, environment and social impact awareness campaigns along the coastline villages on health, safety, environment and social impacts that may be caused by the spillage.
“There are no pollutants as palm oil is biodegradable and does not pose high risk to human health, including birds and marine life,” he added.