Recently, the beaches of Ham Tien – Mui Ne have seen streaks of sand contaminated with a “black substance” that emits an oil-like odor.
The “black sand” streaks…
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| The beach looks like this! – Photo: Q.T. |
Even though it was dusk on May 15, Mr. Nguyen Van Chi, head of the culinary department at the Saigon – Mui Ne resort, eagerly took us on a “hot survey” to document the situation of the black streaks resembling coal dust mixed with sand along this coastline… Notably, our group collected several soft, brownish-black stones, about the size of a thumb, which we temporarily called “oil stones” that had been washed ashore by the waves.
Mr. Chi picked up one of the “oil stones” and gently squeezed it… The “oil stone” broke apart, appearing gooey but clinging tightly to his hand, almost like he was squeezing a type of bitumen (tar)… He confirmed that this was the first time the Saigon – Mui Ne coastline had encountered the phenomenon of “oil stones” and these black sand streaks.
However, it was not only the approximately 200-meter stretch of beach managed by Saigon – Mui Ne that faced this issue; many other famous resorts like Green Beach and Coco Beach are experiencing similar problems.
About 20 kilometers south of Phan Thiet City, the Do Su Resort (Thuan Quy commune, Ham Thuan Nam district) spans an area of 14 hectares and has also reported the presence of black sand streaks and “oil stones” for several days.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, business manager of Do Su Resort, these black sand streaks and “oil stones” appeared after the holiday on April 30 and May 1 and have persisted until now. Similarly, in recent days at Sao Mai Resort (Tien Thanh commune, Phan Thiet City), around 10 cleaning workers have been working tirelessly to manage the black-contaminated sand and the “oil stones” brought in by the waves.
Is crude oil washing ashore?
In an interview, Mr. Nguyen Van Thu, Deputy Chairman of the Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee, stated: “The Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee has received reports from the departments of natural resources and environment, tourism, as well as localities regarding the presence of oil on the beaches. We have directed relevant sectors to assess the impact of this incident.
Based on this assessment, we will clarify the source of the problem and propose solutions to address the incident. The provincial government has sent a document to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, requesting this entity to coordinate with local authorities to survey, evaluate, and propose solutions to remedy the situation… Additionally, the province has sent samples of the oil collected from the beaches to specialized agencies for analysis, evaluation, and source identification.
The provincial government has also instructed relevant departments to meet with resorts and tourist areas, urging these businesses to actively gather the oil. This is a matter of survival for the businesses, so they need to take proactive measures to mitigate the issue. For areas without tourism operations, the management units of the resorts must organize oil collection.”
Regarding the cause of this incident, Mr. Nguyen Van Thu was cautious: “The oil extraction areas are currently located about 60 kilometers from the beaches of Phan Thiet. However, to my knowledge, the technical solutions to ensure environmental safety during oil extraction are very strict.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Luu Minh Hung, Deputy Director of the Binh Thuan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, mentioned: “We have surveyed many areas with functional departments. Preliminary results show that along the tourism route and coastal residential areas of Binh Thuan, from Tien Thanh commune to Hon Rom area (Phan Thiet City), patches of clumped oil have washed ashore.
Additionally, our preliminary assessment indicates that these stones may be crude oil. Our province currently lacks the capacity to analyze and identify the source of the oil, so we have requested the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group to assist in surveying and determining the origin of the oil; proposing measures to prevent and address pollution caused by oil...”.
QUOC THANH – KHAC HOANG
