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Oil spill incident at Tung O Wan
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     A government spokesman said today (June 24) that the Marine Department received a report in the morning of June 21 and found an oil slick covering approximately 10 metres x 15m in waters off Tung O Wan, Lamma Island, and a 100m x 15m oil slick at the Tung O Wan beach area. The Marine Department immediately tasked its staff with cleaning up the oil slick at sea, and alerted relevant departments.

     Small oil patches were found and cleaned up at waters off Tung O Wan by Marine Department staff on June 22 and 23. As at this afternoon, no other oil slicks had been found at adjacent waters and shorelines. The Marine Department is now following up with the source of the oil slicks and the oil sample collected will be sent to the Government Laboratory for analysis.

     The Government is keeping a close watch for any impact of the oil spill incident at Tung O Wan on the marine ecology. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) staff patrolled the waters around Lamma Island including Sok Kwu Wan, Yung Shue Wan, Tung O Wan and Sham Wan over the weekend. Except at Tung O Wan, no signs of an oil spill were observed at the other sites, including the coastal waters and the beach at Sham Wan. Sham Wan is Hong Kong's only known primary nesting site for green turtles, and consequently is designated as a restricted area during the nesting season, which lasts from June to October each year. Those without permits will not be allowed to enter the area. The AFCD will continue to monitor the situation.

     The AFCD also contacted mariculturist representatives at the Sok Kwu Wan and Lo Tik Wan fish culture zones. No irregularities in relation to the incident have been reported by the mariculturists so far.

     Since the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) was notified, the department has sent staff to clear the sand contaminated by the oil spill at the beach at Tung O Wan in the past few days. As at today, about 600 bags of sand have been collected for disposal by the Marine Department. The FEHD will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action.

     The Government will continue its inter-departmental monitoring operations.

Ends/Monday, June 24, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:50

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