Coast Guard to finish oil spill recovery process by July 12

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Philippine Coast Guard-Iloilo Station has set July 10, or at most July 12, 2020, to finish the recovery process of the oil spill that leaked out of Power Barge 102.

Lieutenant Commander Joe Luviz Mercurio, PCG-Iloilo Station commander, said they set the target date even if no deadline was given for the oil recovery efforts.

“It’s the target we set for ourselves. Hopefully, with the proper and substantial equipment, we could reach the target,” he said.

Mercurio said they have already retrieved 210,000 liters of bunker oil.

Around 251,000 liters of bunker fuel leaked out of Power Barge 102, which is operated by Ayala-owned AC Energy Philippines, following an explosion on July 3.

The barge, which is stationed at Brgy. Bo. Obrero, Lapuz in Iloilo City, can hold up to 268,000 liters of fuel.

The spill has affected 125 families (434 individuals) in three Iloilo City barangays as of July 6, 2020. They were evacuated because of the fumes from the leaked bunker fuel.

According Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Head Donna Magno, around 192,660 liters of bunker fuel were collected alongside 200 kilos of contaminated debris from Barangays Mansaya and Bo. Obrero, Lapuz, Iloilo City.

Mercurio said they deployed more than 100 persons for the recovery process.

“I could only do so much. Aside from lack of manpower, we have also to deal with lack of spill booms,” he said.

Because of the difficulty and limitation in logistics, Mercurio said they need more absorbent spill booms to recover oil and sludges in the affected shorelines.

Aside from portions of Lapuz district, Iloilo City, oil spill has reached the districts of Molo, Arevalo, and City Proper.

Traces of oil were also spotted in the towns of Leganes, Zarraga, and Dumangas in Iloilo province.

Oil sheen and slicks were also reported in Iloilo and Guimaras Straits, particularly in the towns of Buenavista and Jordan in Guimaras.

PCG-Iloilo Station said it has completed the first step in responding to the oil spill, which is the containment and abatement process, right after the explosion.

The second step is the process of recovering the bunker oil and the clean-up.

Mercurio said they could have simultaneously done the recovery process and clean-up operations if they have ample equipment and personnel.

 

IGNITION

In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, AC Energy said Power Barge 102 discharged fuel oil at around 3 pm on July 3.

“The root cause is yet to be determined, but initial findings reveal that the discharge is attributable to ignition of fuel oil in storage which ruptured the barge’s fuel tank. The Company immediately activated containment protocols through containment booms but due to strong ocean waves, some of the fuel oil escaped the confinement area,” the disclosure read.

AC Energy said the leakage was contained at around 10:00 p.m. the same day, after 170 combined personnel of the company the Coast Guard were deployed.

“After containment, the Company and the Coast Guard immediately started recovery of the remaining floating residue,” it said.

The company said it deployed additional oil skimming equipment the next day.

AC Energy said it has also tapped Harbor Star, a leading maritime services provider, to finish the clean-up of both the waters and the coastline estimated to take 10 to 15 days.

Th cleanup will begin with the inlet areas, followed by the coast, and then any offshore areas to recover and safely disperse any remaining oil residue.

“The Company continues to provide these families with food, health care, PPEs and other necessities, and is working on further relocation to other nearby schools to observe social distancing. The Company will also engage third-party experts to determine the cause of the explosion in order to avoid similar situations in the future,” it added.