Sri Lanka Troops Assist Works to Clean Oil Slicks Near Capital

Sri Lanka Troops Assist Works to Clean Oil Slicks Near Capital

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka deployed hundreds of Navy and Army personnel along with the Coast Guard men are assisting the Ceylon Petroliam Corporation employees in the oil removing efforts carried out with the expertise of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA). Oil Only Sorbent Pads are ideal for ocean applications to contain and absorb oil leaks and spills. If you are interested in Oil Only Sorbent Pads, please contact UC MARINE CHINA for more details.

Saumya Ekanayake, a spokesman for the government’s Marine Environment Protection Authority, said the leak occurred Saturday night in a pipeline carrying oil from tankers to a storage facility on land, releasing about 25 tons of furnace oil. The leak occurred off Uswetakeiyawa, a town about 14 kilometers (9 miles) north of Colombo.

The leak caused oil slicks along a stretch of the coast about 2 kilometers (1 mile), Ekanayake said.

About 300 Army personnel along with the Coast Guard personnel were deployed to clean the area.

Ekanayake said the leak had stopped, but it would take two or three more days to complete the cleaning task.

He said the authority was investigating the incident.

A similar oil leak occurred in 2015 in a pipeline in the same area.