Friday, November 24, 2006 Companies deny having chartered Barge Ras By Lory Ann B. Bilbao
SOLAR 1 insurer, P & I Club and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC) said it did not charter the sunken Barge Ras, which carried 59,649 sack of oil debris from oil-spilled areas in Guimaras.
Owner and operator of Barge Ras, Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc. in its press statement claimed that it was "collectively contracted by the P&I Club, International Tankers Owners Pollution Federation Ltd. (ITOPF), and the International Oil Spill Compensation Fund (IOPC) in response to the oil spill of mt Solar 1 and has been helping Petron in the clean-up operations in Guimaras."
Barge Ras, which was chartered for the last shipment of sacks of debris "consisting of sand and stone with minimal oil residue," from Guimaras to Holcim facility in Lugait, Misamis Oriental, sunk last Monday at 11 p.m., five kilometers Northeast of Plaridel, Misamis Occidental due to "heavy seas and strong winds."
IOPC Deputy Director Joe Nichols denied having chartered and signed a contract with Harbor Star for the purpose of shipping the oil debris from Guimaras to Holcim.
Neither Solar 1's insurer, P & I Club Claims Manager Britt Pickering know of any contract with Harbor Star.
Not even Malou Erni of Petron Corporation knows as interviewed together with Nochols and Pickering yesterday.
"Petron did not charter the barge Ras. I'm very definite about it," Erni said. It was revealed that Petron has hired Harbor Star's barges Carmen, Milenyo Uno and Harmony.
"It's not IOPC which chartered the barge," Nichols cracked but have no idea which company did, in return quipped that it's the ship owner which has the responsibility over the incident.
Task Force Solar 1 Oil Spill (TF SOS) representative of Petron, Joemarie Vargas said the sinking of the barge which carried oil sludge pose no threat to marine resources in the area where it sank.
But, Erni said, Petron has deployed men to assist in responding to the incident.
Erni said further that the barge was directly given the authority by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) without passing through the Coast Guard and was believed to be fit for navigating.
ABS-CBN News reported that the barge was not permitted to load such this oil sludge, and was limited to carrying soya among other lighter products.
Engineer Edgar Manaay, a retired office of Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), said that based on his study, the sinking won't bring harm to the environment.
This is because the oil debris placed inside more or less 59,000 sacks could no longer float on the sea surface.
The fumes and other chemical component of the said bunker oil were already evaporated in the air prior to the collection and transport from Guimaras Island to Misamis in Northern Mindanao.
Manaay, during an interview with Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, lambasted Greenpeace and other cause oriented groups for causing panic to the public.
Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) has ordered for an investigation on the incident.Erni said it was expected.
On the other hand, Petron, in its press release reported that about 30 pieces of sorbent booms used in the Guimaras clean-up efforts were recovered at the pier of Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental yesterday.
A total of 50 3-meter sorbent booms were reportedly loaded on sunken Barge Ras.
Oroquieta is 22 kilometers south of Plaridel.
"Regardless of who owns the barge or who chartered it, Petron personnel are already in the field to do what is needed and minimize any impact that may arise from this incident," Petron Health, Safety and Environment Manager Carlos V. Tan said.
"We wish to assure the local populace that the used sorbent booms are designed to keep the absorbed oil in. In fact, not even traces of oily sheen were detected as the sorbent booms were recovered," Tan added.
Tan added that Petron personnel are conducting surveys along the eastern Misamis Occidental shoreline to assess if there is any potential damage.
However, he stressed that the trace amount of oil contained in the cargo has been weathering for three months and is highly unlikely to pose a danger to communities, shorelines or marine life.
Petron Corporation said that it had already mobilized Waterborne Industry Spill Response (Wise) equipment to the area to prepare for any contingency. The Company is also closely coordinating with provincial and local officials in connection with the incident.
However, the members of Save our Lives, SOS! Panay and Guimaras group expressed disappointed over the sinking of the Light Cargo Transport (LCT) Barge Ras.
"For over three months now since the oil spill disaster in Guimaras, we felt that the government, along with its concerned agencies, has really fell short in strictly observing safety in transporting cargoes like oil spill debris which has again polluted our sea," said Hope Hervilla, convenor of Save our Lives, SOS.
The group also alleged and hit Petron to have chartered the sunken incapable barge.
"This is the second time for Petron in a span of over three months, that the sea crafts it hired met sea "accidents", causing damage to marine environment and livelihood of the people. Both MT Solar 1 and LCT Barge Ras sunk due to rough seas. We urgently call for the national government to observe maritime laws for the navigation of safer ships for cleaner oceans"," said Geobelyn Lopez, of Madiaas Ecological Movement Panay.
The group also assailed the attempt of Petron to allay fears on the oil debris the barge was carrying.
"We do not believe that the debris on board LCT Barge Ras is unlikely to pose danger. Still, the rocks and sand contained in sacks are smothered with bunker fuel containing highly toxic elements harmful to human and marine life," stressed Armertonet de la Cruz of Save our Lives, SOS! and a marine microbiologist.
On the other hand, Philippine Coast Guard Western Visayas still blames the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for giving a special clearance for the barge to leave Guimaras port to Misamis.
The PCG is still firm on their stand that they did not allow the shipping firm to transport the oil sludge. (With reports from Jay Dooma Balnig)
