Philippines races to avoid ‘environmental catastrophe’ from oil spill
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A coast guard personnel preparing a containment boom to address a potential massive oil spill in waters north of Manila.
PHOTO: AFP
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LIMAY, The Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard on July 26 raced to offload 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil from a sunken tanker and prevent an “environmental catastrophe” in the iconic Manila Bay.
One crew member died when the MT Terra Nova sank in rough seas nearly 7km off Limay town early on July 25 after setting out for the central city of Iloilo.
An oil slick stretching several kilometres has been detected in the waterway, which thousands of fishermen and tourism operators rely on for their livelihoods.
Rear-Admiral Armando Balilo, the coast guard spokesman, said on July 26 that the spill was “minimal” and it appeared to be diesel fuel used to power the tanker and not the 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,” he said.
The coast guard has set a target of seven days to offload the cargo and prevent what Rear-Adm Balilo warned could be the worst oil spill in Philippine history if it were to leak.
Journalists at a port in Limay, in Bataan province, north of the capital Manila, watched coast guard personnel load oil dispersant and a suction skimmer onto a boat to be used against the slick.
Rear-Adm 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 under way, he added.
The capsized MT Terra Nova, which is carrying 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel, drifting on waters off Manila Bay.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
The coast guard met representatives of MT Terra Nova’s owner and a contracted salvage company on July 26 to discuss the timeline.
Rear-Adm Balilo said: “There’s nothing to be worried about for now, but we should not be complacent.”
The incident happened as heavy rain fuelled by Typhoon Gaemi and the seasonal monsoon lashed Manila and the surrounding regions
After setting out late on July 24, the captain decided to abort the journey to Iloilo owing to rough seas.
Rear-Adm 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 MT Terra Nova “lost control” in the large waves and went down, he added.
“We will see if there were protocols violated or if there was a lapse in decision-making,” Rear-Adm Balilo said.
Sixteen of the 17 crew members were rescued.
Campaign group Greenpeace said the owners of MT Terra Nova should “foot the bill” for any environmental damage and compensate affected communities.
One of the worst oil spills in the Philippines
Diesel fuel and thick oil from that vessel contaminated the waters and beaches along the coast of Oriental Mindoro province, devastating the fishing and tourism industries.
The oil dispersed over hundreds of kilometres 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 litres of oil that destroyed a marine reserve, ruined local fishing grounds and covered stretches of coastline in black sludge. AFP
