(UPDATES) THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday raced to remove 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil from a sunken tanker and prevent an “environmental catastrophe” in Manila Bay.
One crew member died when the MT Terra Nova sank in rough seas nearly 7 kilometers off Limay town in Bataan early Thursday after setting out for Iloilo City.
An oil slick stretching several kilometers was detected in the bay, which thousands of fishermen and tourism operators rely on for their livelihoods.
STOPPING THE SPILL Coast guard personnel arrange an oil spill containment boom to be on standby for deployment at a port in Limay, Bataan, on July 25, 2024. A Philippine-flagged tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil sank off Manila on July 25, authorities said, as they raced to contain a spill. PHOTO BY AFP
Coast guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said on Friday the spill was “minimal” and that it appeared to be diesel fuel used to power the tanker and not industrial fuel oil cargo.
“No oil has been leaking from the tank itself, so we’re racing against time to siphon the oil so we can avoid the environmental catastrophe,” Balilo said.
The PCG has set a target of seven days to offload the cargo and prevent what Balilo warned would be the worst oil spill in Philippine history if it were to leak.
AFP journalists at the Port of Limay watched coast guard personnel load oil dispersant and a suction skimmer onto a boat to be used against the slick.
Balilo said oil spill containment booms had also been deployed in preparation “for the worst case scenario” of the industrial fuel oil leaking before it could be offloaded.
Once the weather improved, coast guard divers would inspect the position of the tanker so the “siphoning operation” could get underway, he said.
The coast guard met with representatives of the MT Terra Nova’s owner and a contracted salvage company on Friday to discuss the timeline.
“There’s nothing to be worried about for now, but we should not be complacent,” Balilo said.
The incident happened as heavy rains were fuelled by Typhoon Carina and the seasonal monsoon lashed Metro Manila and surrounding regions in recent days.
After setting out late Wednesday, the captain decided to abort the journey to Iloilo due to rough seas.
Balilo said investigators were seeking to verify testimony from the crew that the vessel was damaged as it tried to turn back and had to be towed by another ship.
Somehow the tow line was cut, and the Terra Nova “lost control” in the large waves and went down, he said.
“We will see if there were protocols violated or if there was a lapse in decision-making,” Balilo said.
Sixteen of the 17 crew members were rescued.
Campaign group Greenpeace said the owners of the Terra Nova should “foot the bill” for any environmental damage and compensate affected communities.
One of the worst oil spills in the Philippines was in February 2023, when a tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil sank off Mindoro.
Diesel fuel and thick oil from that vessel contaminated the waters and beaches along the coast of Oriental Mindoro, devastating the fishing and tourism industries.
The oil dispersed over hundreds of kilometers of waters famed for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world.
A tanker sank off the central island of Guimaras in 2006, spilling tens of thousands of gallons of oil that destroyed a marine reserve, ruined local fishing grounds and covered stretches of coastline in black sludge.
PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has deployed three multi-role response vessels to help contain the oil spill.
On Friday, the PCG’s Marine Environmental Protection personnel continued to lay oil dispersants and collect emulsified oil in the affected waters.
Balilo said, “there is nothing to worry about, but we’re not complacent. We are still preparing for the worst-case scenario to address the potential negative impact to the marine environment.”
Possible areas that could be affected by the spill include the waters of the cities of Parañaque, Manila and Navotas, and the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.
The PCG and Maritime Industry Authority are conducting a joint marine casualty investigation, headed by Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista.
Balilo said that based on the investigation, there was no storm alert raised over Bataan when the Terra Nova sailed from Limay.
“Hence, it did not violate rules and regulations pertinent to the movement of vessels during heavy weather,” he said.
Balilo said the vessel sank in waters 34 meters deep, which is considerably shallow.
“Siphoning will not be very technical and can be done quickly to protect the vicinity waters of Bataan and Manila Bay against environmental, social, economic, financial, and political impacts,” he said.
On Thursday afternoon, the PCG ship Melchora Aquino retrieved the body of the Terra Nova’s missing crewman.
Balilo said the 16 rescued crew members have been turned over to their families.
On Friday, a shipping company, Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc. entered into a contract with Shogun Ships Co. Inc. to salvage the sunken tanker.
Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has ordered the mapping of the ecosystems affected by the oil spill in Bataan.
Yulo-Loyzaga also ordered the deployment of a survey vessel to help the coast guard and the local government of Bataan monitor the Terra Nova.
The survey vessel, BRP Hydrographer Presbetero, is used by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority in surveying territorial marine and coastal environments.
“We are here to support the efforts already being done by the Philippine Coast Guard, which is the incident commander here, and the local government,” Yulo-Loyzaga said. “Our assets are at their disposal so we can determine the possible impact of the incident.”
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional offices will set up water quality and air quality stations to determine the spill’s impact on coastal and marine ecosystems.
Gloria Estenzo Ramos, vice president of Oceana, an international marine protection organization, and all those “responsible for failing to prevent this tragedy — from concerned government agencies to private owners of the tanker — should be held accountable.”
Ramos stressed the need to impose higher penalties and stricter accountability measures considering the oil spills’ destructive impacts on fishing grounds and habitats.
WITH EARL JOHN ALFARO
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