THE personnel of Carmen Copper Corp. deployed a 300-meter-long oil spill containment boom in the waters off Sangi Port in Toledo City during a simulation exercise last May 10, 2019.
Employees of the mining firm have taken measures to prepare for marine disasters as their way of celebrating the Month of the Ocean, which is celebrated annually in the Philippines during the month of May.
Last May 10, Carmen Copper trained its 31 port personnel and safety officers on how to respond to an oil spill at its own Sangi Port.
Sangi Port is Carmen Copper’s facility where copper concentrates are loaded and shipped to smelters in China, Japan and Leyte, Philippines.
Experts from the Philippine Environmental and Technological Systems and Services Inc. (Petss) provided the training. They taught the proper use of the containment boom, discussed the types of oil that spill, tackled the hazards associated with oil spills and shared the basic steps in controlling the spill.
Later in the afternoon on the same day, Carmen Copper’s team performed in a simulation exercise. They deployed Sangi Port’s oil spill containment boom, which was acquired by the company in 2017.
The training was conducted to comply with the Bureau of Customs, which had ordered all port facilities to craft a disaster preparedness and management plan.
A containment boom is a temporary floating barrier designed to contain oil spills. It can protect critical areas such as reefs and shorelines from the threats of oil slick.
Carmen Copper, a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Mining operating the Toledo Copper Mine in Toledo City, is committed to sustainable mineral development through responsible operation. Through the company’s environmental protection and enhancement program, the company ensures that its operation does not bring irreversible effects to the natural environment of Toledo City.
The mining firm’s outstanding environmental management has won it awards and recognition from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association. (S)