ID :
294931
Sat, 08/03/2013 - 13:18
Auther :

Minister: 50,000litres of crude leak into sea

BANGKOK, August 3 (TNA) - Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal says that only 50,000 litres of crude oil leaking from a pipeline owned by PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (PTTGC) into the sea off Thailand's eastern Rayong Province on July 27 and ecology in the area should not, thus, be seriously affected. Speaking during a weekly TV and radio programme of Prime Minister YingluckShinawatra on Saturday (Aug 3) morning, Pongsak defended criticisms by environment experts on the use of a large amount of chemical substances in ridding the oil slick, explaining that the chemical substances were used during strong wind and high waves to prevent the leaked oil from spreading quickly on the sea surface. Pongsak insisted that the oil submerged by dispersant would not seriously affect local ecology, as residue dispersant would dissolve naturally. The minister made the remarks amid continual clean-up operations, carried out by mostly navy officers, at oil-spilled Phrao Bay in Rayong, resulting in sand in the affected area now returning almost white. (TNA)

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