Mervat Al Khateeb, Staff Reporter

The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah, along with the supporting authorities, managed to contain and control the oil slick that recently reached the Al Lu’lu’eya and Al-Zubarah beaches in Khorfakkan.

The slick is considered of the light crude, but it causes serious environmental damage and affects the marine biological system.

Being an oil pollution, the emergency and crisis team, led by the EPAA, dealt with the incident efficiently in cooperation with the supporting bodies including the Sharjah Police, Municipality of Khorfakkan, Municipal Council of Khorfakkan, Coast Guard and Bee’ah. They were able together to control that kind of oil spill.

“After controlling the oil slick, we are working to assess the damages and restore the environmental system in that area as was,” Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Head of EPAA said.

She thanked all parties that worked with the EPAA in order to contain the slick and curb the damage as much as possible in order to keep the coasts and beaches safe.

“Action was taken immediately to control the oil slick and to get rid of it, as well as combating its harmful effects on the environment,” she added.

Al Suwaidi further added that similar incidents require raising awareness among ship crews, regarding the damage caused by oil spills and the preventive measures to be adopted to help curb them. During this time, stringent precautionary measures are taken including advising the public to abstain from going near the beach to stay safe from the harmful effects of the crude oil.

An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, the marine ecosystem in particular. These liquids could contain a variety of materials, crude oil and refined petroleum products (gasoline and diesel) in particular, which require immediate attention before they further pollute the environment.

The Sharjah Environmental and Protected Areas Authority seeks to protect the environment, natural reserves, wildlife and their biological diversity by conducting scientific studies and research and implementing measures for pollution control. In addition the Authority seeks to increase awareness by educational individuals on the principles of sustainable development that could help preserve natural environmental resources, beneficial for the use and purpose of study among future generations.