The anticipated draining of 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil (IFO) from the sunken motor tanker (MT) Terranova off the coast of Limay, Bataan is set to begin on Sunday, July 28, as authorities race against time to contain an oil spill feared to become the “worst” in the country’s history.
An aerial survey conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) showed that the oil spill observed on the ground zero has expanded from three kilometers to 12 to 14 kilometers off Limay’s coast, and the slick were being carried by the current towards Cavite and Batangas’ waters.
“Hindi naman ito sobrang itim na langis. Iniisip natin nagsalo na ang oil from operation oil ng barko at may ilang amount galing doon sa industrial fuel tank (These are not really dark oil. We’re thinking that it’s a mixture of operational oil from the ship and some amount from the industrial fuel tank),” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo told reporters on Saturday, July 27, confirming that a small portion of the cargo fuel has started to spill.
“Minimal pa lang naman siya, manageable. Hopefully it would stay na ganoon lang hanggang makapagsimula ng siphoning tomorrow (This is just minimal, it’s manageable. Hopefully it would stay that way until we can start the siphoning tomorrow),” he added.
To contain the leak, three PCG vessels were deployed in the area to install oil spill booms and oil dispersant which turns the oil to solid particles for collection.
Officials from the PCG, ship owner Shogun Ships Co. Inc., and maritime service provider Harbor Star Shipping Services met at the PCG headquarters in Manila on Friday to discuss the siphoning process, which is expected to take seven days.
Balilo said the PCG and Harbor Star will take part in the siphoning process. Harbor Star is the company tapped to contain 800,000 liters of oil leak from the MT Princess Empress in Mindoro last year, presumed to be the worst oil spill in the country's history.
Balilo said the divers will install hoses to the industrial fuel tanks of the sunken tanker, which is located 34 meters below sea level, 3.6 nautical miles east of Lamao Point in Limay.
“Pagkatapos mayroong makina na gagamitin para sipsipin. Mayroon ding nakahanda na mga bags katulad ng ginamit sa Mindoro just in case mayroong leak sa ibang area (Then a machine will be used to siphon [the oil]. There will be prepared bags like the ones used in Mindoro just in case there will be leak in other areas),” Balilo said.
The specialized bags will be used to cover the sunken tanker while the siphoning is ongoing so that the oil that will be spilled during the process will be absorbed by them and won’t reach the surface water.
A sister ship of MT Terranova will also arrive by Saturday night or early Sunday in Limay. The vessel will be used to store all the oil that will be collected from the sunken tanker.
After the siphoning process, Balilo said the ship owner, through its contracted salvage operator, will try to salvage the sunken tanker.
Fishing ban
Meanwhile, a fishing ban has been implemented in Limay town, preventing fishermen from conducting fishing activities in its coastal waters while the oil spill operation has not yet been concluded, according to Balilo.
“Baka contaminated ‘yung mga isda so ‘wag na lang muna (The fish might be contaminated so let’s just avoid [fishing] for the meantime),” the PCG official noted.
“Alam naman natin kapag contaminated ang isda at kakainin natin talagang baka magkasakit tayo (We know that the fish is contaminated and it is eated, there might be health complications),” he added.