Black oil residue: Public urged to stay away from Wellawatte and Mt.Lavinia beaches

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Marine Environment Protection Authority requests the general public to limit the use of the beach area from Wellawatta to Mount Lavinia. The request was made as a black oil residue washed ashore between Wellawatte and Mount Lavinia last night (June 01). General Manager of the Marine Environment Protection Authority, Dr B. P. Terney Pradeep Kumara states that the situation is called a tar bar effect which occurs due to the cleaning of a vessel or else due to the illegal release of oil to the sea. He further said that the authority has obtained oil samples in order to impose fines on the vessel, its owner or the group which owns the vessel adding that the fine would range between Rs. 4 mn to Rs. 14 mn. The General Manager said that the Authority together with the Navy, the Coastal Guard and the Disaster Management Centre are taking steps both today and tomorrow to clean the oil residue.