DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines—Operators of the Sual Power Station deployed work crews to stave off an oil leak from a ruptured pipe that was detected early Monday.
The leak alarmed Sual municipal officials because of its impact on the local bangus industry.
An undetermined amount of bunker fuel from the coal-fired power plant spilled into Cabalitian Bay, which hosts 800 milk fish cages, according to Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue.
He said he had not been told how much bunker oil leaked into the sea nor what caused the spill.
Sual power plant. Photo was taken in 2011.
WILLIE LOMIBAO/CONTRIBUTOR
In a statement, Froilan Gregory Romualdez III, Team Energy’s head of external affairs, confirmed the pipe rupture at the plant and said: “Our oil spill emergency response team immediately took action to contain the leak. By 3 a.m., the concerned valve has been isolated. The leak is under control and has been contained.”
Team Energy said it had informed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Energy, and is assessing the extent of the leak.
“We are also conducting a thorough investigation of the incident to ensure that this does not happen again. We remain fully committed to operating the plant in a safe and reliable manner,” Romualdez said. Arcinue said he inspected the power plant in Barangay Baquioen in Sual and was informed that the spill had been contained by noon.
“The bunker fuel leaked from a [pipe] at the back of the boiler,” said Arcinue.
He said the fish cages, which are located in the nearby Baquioen Bay were not affected by the spill.
“They are now cleaning up,” Arcinue said.
Team Energy employees have been manually removing oil from the waters using buckets. The recovered oil has been stored in drums.
Saying Team Energy is investigating the accident, Romualdez stressed that the firm “remains fully committed to operating the plant in a safe and reliable manner.
Barangay Pangascasan chair Elmer Brudo said the area affected by the oil leak was also where residents gather shell fish.
The Sual coal-fired plant has a generating capacity of 1,218 megawatt. It began operations in October 1999.
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