|
Friday, August 25, 2006
Joint Senate-House panel to probe Guimaras oil spill
SENATORS Pia Cayetano who co-chairs the Joint Oversight Committee on the Clean Water Act and Senate President Manny Villar were set to conduct an ocular inspection of the oil spill site `in Guimaras to assess the extent of the damage in order to legislate measures to help in the affected communities.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is also set to visit the island on Saturday while the two lawmakers are scheduled to arrive Friday.
Villar filed a resolution which would direct the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources which Cayetano is the chairman, to conduct investigation in aid of legislation "with the end view of determining the cause and the ways to combat the negative effects of the oil spill and recommending policy measures to prevent similar accidents in the future."
"because my colleagues and I intend to investigate how the accident happened, if there are irregularities that transpired and who are responsible for such. The people, especially Guimaras residents, deserve to know the whole story and be informed accordingly."
Cayetano will lead the hearing with Manila Representative Miles Roces as her counterpart in the House of Representatives.
Prior to the hearing, Cayetano will conduct an ocular visit of the coastal villages ravaged by the oil slick in Barangays San Roque and La Paz in Nueva Valencia town, Guimaras on Friday.
Cayetano will also consult Guimaras Governor Rahman Nava, Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr., and the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council for an update on the clean-up and relief efforts.
Cayetano said the hearings to be held in the Senate will clarify the facts and circumstances surrounding the oil spill and find out what measures can still be done to mitigate damage from m/t Solar 1.
"The inputs in this hearing will be used in the finalization of the committee report that would consolidate several bills on anti-marine pollution and the creation of an oil spill liability fund, and a separate report that lays down the implementing legislation in compliance with the country's obligations to the 1992 International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation on Oil pollution Damage."
She said among the main provisions of the committee's draft report on the proposed "Ship Pollution Prevention Act of 2006" is the creation of an Oil Spill Liability and Marine Management Fund, which would be used to clean up and pay claims for natural resources damage caused by oil spills from water vessels.
The proposed fund will be constituted from contributions imposed on owners and operators of tankers and barges hauling oil and other petroleum products in Philippine waterways and coastwise shipping routes, she added.
Among those invited to Monday's hearing are Guimaras Governor Nava, Petron Chair Niasio Alcantara, Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation President Clemente Cancio,PCG Commandant Vice Admiral Arthur Gosingan, DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes, Greenpeace Campaign Coordinator Von Hernandez and Pamalakaya National Chairman Fernando Hicap.
Cayetano, who also led a joint probe of the oil spill of Semirara Island in Antique last February, lamented the lack of preparedness and the limited capability of government agencies in dealing with major oil spills.
"Apparently, no additional safety measures have been implemented by the Maritime Industry Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard after the Semirara oil spill disaster happened eight months ago," she stated in her press statement sent to media outlets Thursdays.
"The occurrence of two major oil spills in less than a year should already prompt these agencies to adopt stricter measures-especially for tankers and other sea vessels that contain and transport toxic substances which could pose great damage when released to the marine ecosystem."
She said she favored higher safety standards for oil tankers operating locally, like requiring the latter to have double bottoms and hulls to prevent these from immediately busting and spilling out oil upon encountering rough currents. Currently, only international oil tankers are required to have double hulls and bottoms under the rules of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Philippines is not scheduled to phase out single hull tankers until 2015.
"Power barges should also go through the annual routine safety inspections of Marina," she added, noting that National Power Corporation (NPC) power barges, including Power Barge 106 which was responsible for the Semirara oil spill last December, enjoyed exemption from Marina's standard tests by virtue of being a non-sea vessel.
(August 25, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
