Wednesday, November 22, 2006 Barge carrying oil-spill debris from Guimaras sinks off M. Occidental By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
EVEN before Petron Corporation could contain all its problems brought by the oil spill in Guimaras Island, the oil giant faces yet another challenge.
The barge Ras, which it tasked to haul about 600 metric tons (59,000 bags) of spilt oil and other debris from Guimaras to a cement firm in Misamis Occidental, also sank just when it neared its destination.
A report from the Philippine Coast Guard read that the barge battled strong waves for several hours before finally sinking at about 5 kilometers northeast of Plaridel coast in Misamis Occidental Monday midnight.
It added that the spilt oil was supposed to be delivered to Holcin Cement treatment and disposal plant in Lugait town, Misamis Occidental.
The Coast Guard report also indicated that Ras tried to stay afloat from Sunday afternoon to late Monday evening.
It also reported that Harbor Star Company, which owned the barge, hired the assistance of tugboat Vega to tow and rescue the barge at past 11 p.m. but the barge captain ordered his crew to abandon ship.
Petron, in a statement sent to media outlets in Western Visayas, confirmed that the crew of the ill-fated barge have already been accounted for as of press time.
Location
The Coast Guard in Northern Mindanao is now doubling its efforts to determine the exact location of Ras.
The sunken barge was contracted by Petron and the International Oil Pollution Commission (IOPC) to haul the spilt oil.
Petron officials, however, moved to downplay the effect of the latest accident saying “the debris carried by Ras only contains traces of oil and were mostly composed of sand and rocks contained in sacks.”
It also added that since it has been weathering for three months in Misamis, it is highly unlikely to pose a danger to communities, shorelines or marine life.
“We are taking charge of the response to this incident. We are already monitoring the area and have mobilized the Waterborne Industry Spill Equipment (Wise) to deal with any contingency. A tugboat is now patrolling around the sink site and so far, no oily sheen or debris has been seen on the surface,” Carlos Tan, Petron Health, Safety and Environment Manager said.
The new incident, however, is tagged as a “costly lesson” for Petron having hit anew with another disaster some four months into the devastating oil-spill caused by the sinking of m/t Solar 1, a Petron-contracted tanker, off Guimaras waters on August 11.
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