BY VICTOR REYES and JED MACAPAGAL
THE Philippine Coast Guard yesterday said traces of industrial fuel oil mixed with diesel fuel coming from the ill-fated oil tanker that sank off Oriental Mindoro last Tuesday has spread to nearby towns, threatening marine ecosystem and the livelihood of local folks.
As of Wednesday night, the oil spill has been estimated at six kilometers long and four kilometers wide, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
In a statement, the PCG said “there is already industrial fuel oil in the oil spill in the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro,” adding the oil spill has reached the shores of Buhay na Tubig in Pola town yesterday.
The ill-fated MT Princess Empress, transporting about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil from Bataan to Iloilo, sank after encountering engine trouble due to overheating.
The PCG said teams from its Marine Environment Protection Unit, local government units and other stakeholders have been ordered to proceed to the affected areas for a shoreline clean-up.
The PCG initially said the oil spill was mostly diesel fuel but the presence of industrial fuel oil in affected areas yesterday indicated the cargo hold of the vessel had broken.
“Based on the shoreline assessment conducted by the PCG in Pinamalayan (town), patches of emulsified oil were observed,” the PCG said.
“The spilt oil has also reached the waters of Barangay Aplaya, Bongabong (town), Oriental Mindoro based on information from the Philippine Coast Guard Command Center today,” the PCG added.
It said Barangay Aplaya is about 35 miles south from where the ill-fated MT Princess Express sank last Tuesday.
The PCG said it has received information from the volunteer group Bantay Dagat that the oil spill has also reached Sibale Island in Concepcion town, Romblon.
It said a tugboat commissioned by the vessel’s owner, RDC Reield Marines Services, is continuing to apply dispersants in the areas.
The PCG has prepared an action plan to address the problem, including the containment of the oil spill and recovery of the spilled oil.
The DENR warned that 21 locally-managed marine protected areas can be potentially affected by the oil spill, adding it has mapped potential risk areas including seagrass beds, mangroves, and dispersion pathways for spawned fish larvae.
The Environmental Management Bureau has tested waters in the municipalities of Naujan, Pola and Pinamalayan.
The DENR said a Task Force Naujan Oil Spill has been created to immediately address the emergency situation and create a mid to long-term risk management strategy for the affected areas.
The PCG is set to install spill booms to protect the locally-managed marine protected areas while the Philippine Air Force will conduct aerial surveillance in the coming days to further assess the situation.
