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Singapore and Malaysia hold first joint test to tackle chemical spill

Singapore: To test the readiness of Singapore and Malaysia’s agencies, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Malaysia Marine Department (MMD) today conducted the first ever joint chemical spill exercise at sea, along the Straits of Johor.

As part of the bilateral cooperation programme under the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE), the Emergency Response Plan (ERP), jointly developed by MPA, MMD, National Environment Agency (NEA) and Johor Department of Environment (DOE), seeks to enhance the preparedness of emergency response agencies from both countries in tackling potential chemical accidents involving the seaborne transportation of hazardous chemicals in the Straits of Johor.        

"Regional cooperation is important as incidents at sea resulting in chemical and oil spills are often transboundary in nature. This is the first bilateral exercise we have conducted to tackle a chemical spill at sea. Such an exercise allows us to test regional and multi-agency response capabilities so that we are ever ready and well-prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any maritime accidents, be it a collision, chemical leak or oil spill," Mr Andrew Tan, MPA's chief executive.

NEA chief executive officer Ronnie Tay said, “The successful conduct of this joint exercise clearly demonstrates the operational readiness of Singapore and Malaysia agencies in controlling and mitigating chemical spillage incidents in the Straits of Johor. The quick and effective responses by the agencies from both countries will serve to minimise the environmental impact of any spill that may occur, and also reflect the strong bilateral ties and close co-operation between the two countries.”  [09/04/14]

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