Abu Dhabi: A minor oil spill that caused almost a week-long closure of beaches on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi last month might have originated from a discharge of ballast water from an unknown vessel.
The beaches were closed on February 15 due to the oil spill and reopened on February 22.
“A full investigation into the cause of the minor oil spill has now been completed. The most probable identified source of this minor oil spill is due to a discharge of ballast water from an unknown vessel,” a senior official said in a statement issued to Gulf News on Sunday.
“In this particular case, our environmental assessment found that both beaches [along the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and the Park Hyatt Hotel] were contaminated with minor and light tar oil balls and a dead seagull was found along one of the beaches,” Dr Humaid Al Kindi, Section Manager of Emergency Management and Environment Quality at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), said.
Ballast water can have a negative impact on the marine environment and typically contains a variety of biological materials that may include non-native or exotic species. These materials can cause extensive ecological damage to aquatic ecosystems, Al Kindi said.
The official requested members of the public to report any illegal activities pertaining to the marine environment to the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Centre (800-555). This particular incident was reported to the EAD through the contact centre, he said.
Members of the EAD’s Environmental Emergency Team immediately visited the site and conducted an initial environmental assessment confirming the occurrence of a minor oil spill with minor beach contamination along two kilometres of the coast. The team collected water samples for analysis and worked closely with relevant partners.
Al Kindi thanked the staff and management of the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and the Park Hyatt Hotel for their efforts in cleaning up the beach and for taking swift action to protect public health by keeping swimmers away from the sea. He thanked all government partners also for their support.
The Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority has been notified of this minor oil spill and they continue to monitor the waters for any illegal activities, the official said.
Ever since the beaches were reopened, residents and tourists have been regularly visiting the beaches, staff at Saadiyat Public Beach said yesterday.
Saadiyat Island, located near Port Zayed in Mina area of Abu Dhabi City, has many residential, cultural and tourism projects including star hotels. The island is expected to have about 160,000 residents by 2018, on completion of all projects. Hundreds of residents have already occupied residential projects.
