ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT An aerial image from environmental group Greenpeace taken around 4 kilometers off Hagonoy, Bulacan, shows the oil slick from a tanker, which sank on July 25 in Bataan due to bad weather.—Noel Celis/Greenpeace
MANILA, Philippines – Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla alerted coastal communities on Monday following reports that oil leaking from tanker Terra Nova, which sank off Bataan on July 25, had reached parts of the province, particularly Ternate, Maragondon, Naic and Tanza.
“It (the oil spill) was felt slightly early this morning. [We’re on our way] to [assist the affected villagers],” Remulla said.
According to fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, coastal residents of Tanza woke up to the “distinctive odor associated with the oil spill” on Sunday morning.
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“Our worst fear has happened; the oil has spread throughout the vast Manila Bay and has disrupted the livelihood of many fishermen,” Pamalakaya vice chair Ronnel Arambulo said in a statement.
Fishermen were worried that the oil slick might contaminate fishery resources and affect the farm-gate prices of their catch, he added.
The group estimated that in Tanza alone, over 5,000 fisherfolk would be affected if the spill could not be immediately contained.
Sealing operations ongoing
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), for its part, said that divers had sealed most of the sunken tanker’s leaking valves and were capping off even those that remained intact before siphoning operations could begin.
“We are hoping to seal all 24 valves today (July 29). We’re conducting the final mobilization of the siphoning equipment,” PCG Bataan Station commander Lt. Cmdr. Michael John Encina said in a press briefing. As of Monday afternoon, there were monitored leaks at one liter per hour, which he considered as “minimal.”
Terra Nova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank amid stormy weather off Bataan on July 25, killing a crew member.
Around 300,000 liters of oil would be siphoned from the tanker and transferred to MT Helena Marie, the ship’s sister vessel.
Siphoning timeframe
“The moment that we lift the vessel and bring it adjacent to the shore, we can say it’s all under control,” Encina said.
The PCG earlier warned of an “environmental catastrophe” if the entire cargo leaked.
According to Encina, the siphoning operation will take five to seven days, 10 days being the longest. An estimated 50,000 liters per day will be taken out of the tanker.
The oil sheen monitored where the vessel sank has been reduced to 2 to 4 nautical miles from the stretch of 12 to 14 kilometers, he said.
At the same time, he said they were still verifying reports that the oil spill had reached the coastlines of Cavite and Bataan.
Environmental group Greenpeace earlier released photos and videos showing that an oil sheen had reached Hagonoy, Bulacan.
Meanwhile, all leaks found on another sunken motor tanker, Jason Bradley, have been sealed.
“The tanker carried 5.5 tons of diesel cargo, which had already been emptied. The mere fact that it’s diesel means it is easy to dissipate,” Encina said.
But the PCG is preparing charges against the owner of the tanker for not reporting the incident immediately when it sank on July 23 due to bad weather, two days before Terra Nova capsized. The six crew members onboard the Jason Bradley were rescued by another vessel, he added.
Also on Monday, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos called for daily water sampling in the coastal waters of municipalities along Manila Bay, from Bataan to Cavite, to closely monitor the spread of the oil spill and ensure contamination-free aquatic resources for fisherfolk and residents. —with reports from Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Joanna Rose Aglibot, Carmela Reyes-Estrope and Frances Mangosing