ECOCIDE

Search on for sunken Philippine tanker leaking industrial fuel

The Princess Empress sank with 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil that is leaking into the sea.

This Philippine Coast Guard image shows an aerial view of an oil spill in waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro province, Philippines, on March 1, 2023

[Philippine Coast Guard/EPA-EFE]

Published On 2 Mar 2023

Authorities in the Philippines are racing to find and secure a sunken tanker ship loaded with 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil that has started to leak into waters rich in coral and marine life.

The Princess Empress was travelling from Bataan province, near the capital, Manila, to the central province of Iloilo on Tuesday when it developed engine trouble and sank in rough seas.end of list

The Philippine Coast Guard initially reported that a spillage spotted in the sea was diesel fuel from the stricken vessel’s engines and not the ship’s cargo of industrial oil.

But the coastguard said on Thursday that tests of water samples showed that some of the industrial oil had leaked into the sea off Oriental Mindoro province.

The spill had spread over 24sq km (9 square miles) by Wednesday, the coastguard said previously. It is not known how much diesel fuel and how much of the industrial fuel oil cargo is in the water.

“A ship’s structural integrity may be compromised during sinking, and it may develop a hole through which oil will leak under pressure,” said Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, according to local news site GMA News Online.

The cargo of fuel oil was loaded directly into the tanker and was not in sealed containers, Balilo said, noting that the Princess Empress sank in waters more than 400 metres deep (1,300 feet), which was too deep for divers to reach.

Oriental Mindoro provincial Governor Humerlito Dolor said a search was under way to find the tanker and plug the leak.

“The coastguard made assurances to us that they are ready to syphon off the oil once they identify [the location],” Dolor told local media. “Unfortunately, after two aerial surveillance [flights], we still can’t find the exact location of the ship.”

The coastguard has deployed oil spill booms to try to contain the leaking fuel and has sprayed chemicals to break down the oil in the water. Fishermen and tourism operators along the coast depend heavily on the waters for their livelihoods and there are concerns these could be at risk.

The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources said 21 marine protected areas were endangered by the oil spill, including the Verde Island Passage (VIP), which is considered to be one of the most diverse and productive marine ecosystems in the world, the Philippine Star digital edition reported.

The waters of the VIP strait provide food and sustain the livelihoods of more than two million people, according to environmental groups.

Oil has been spotted along a roughly 60km (37-mile) stretch of water between Naujan and Bongabong municipality, said Ram Temena, Oriental Mindoro disaster operations chief.

“We have many fish sanctuaries along the coast,” Temena said.

“It could have a huge impact due to the possibility that the oil could attach to the coral reefs, affecting the marine biodiversity.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Oil from sunken tanker swamps central Philippine coast


Philippines oil leak from tanker. (Twitter)

AFP, Manila
Published: 02 March ,2023

Clean-up efforts were under way on the blackened coasts of a central Philippine island Thursday after spillage from a sunken oil tanker washed ashore, the country’s environment minister said, as fears of economic and environmental harm grew.

The oil spill off Naujan town on Mindoro island reached the shores of the next four municipalities on the island’s east coast around noon Thursday, and appeared to be flowing further south, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga said in a statement.

As it sailed into rough seas off Naujan on Tuesday, the Princess Empress sank with its cargo of 800,000 liters (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil.

Another vessel rescued the 20 crew members on board, but the Princess Empress leaked some of its cargo into the sea after initially spilling diesel fuel which had been powering the vessel, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

Environment personnel “are now focusing on coastal clean-up” given the extent of the affected shoreline, Loyzaga said.

Divers will meanwhile assess the impact on reefs, mangroves and sea grasses, as “possible contamination might actually affect the viability of these systems.”

She added: “We expect that these efforts will require personnel who will need to work over a period of time.”

The spill had spread over 24 square kilometers (nine square miles) of water by Wednesday, the coastguard said previously.

It is not known how much diesel fuel and industrial fuel oil is in the water.

Provincial governor Humerlito Dolor said a search was still under way for the stricken tanker, estimated to be 460 meters (1,500 feet) under the sea.

“The coastguard made assurances to us that they are ready to syphon off the oil once they identify (the location),” Dolor told local media.

“Unfortunately, after two aerial surveillance (flights) we still can’t find the exact location of the ship.”

In the meantime, the coastguard has deployed oil spill booms to try to contain the material and sprayed chemicals to break down the oil.

Fishermen and tourism operators along the coast depend heavily on the waters for their livelihoods.

Oil has been spotted along a roughly 60-kilometre stretch of water between Naujan and Bongabong municipality, said Ram Temena, disaster operations chief in the affected province of Oriental Mindoro.

“We have many fish sanctuaries along the coast,” Temena said.

“It could have a huge impact due to the possibility that the oil could attach to the coral reefs, affecting the marine biodiversity.”

Bongabong municipal disaster officer Michael Fanoga said fishermen had complained of a “foul smell” about two kilometers offshore.

“If it spreads in the shoreline, our beaches will be destroyed as well as the remaining coral,” Fanoga said.

Sunken Philippine tanker leaks industrial fuel oil into sea

Published: 02 Mar 2023 -

In this handout photo received from the Philippine Coast Guard and taken on March 2, 2023, a coast guard personnel collects water sample from of an oil spill in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. Photo by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) / AFP

Manila: A sunken Philippine tanker carrying 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil has leaked some of its cargo into the sea, authorities said Thursday, as they raced to find the vessel and contain the spill.

The Princess Empress was travelling from Bataan province, near the capital Manila, to the central province of Iloilo on Tuesday when it had engine trouble and sank in rough seas off Oriental Mindoro province.

The Philippine Coast Guard initially reported the spillage was diesel fuel, which had been powering the vessel, and not industrial fuel oil from the ship's cargo.

But water sample test results showed some of the cargo had also leaked into waters off Naujan municipality, the coast guard said Thursday, sparking concern for the region's rich marine life and coral reefs.

The spill had spread over 24 square kilometres (nine square miles) of water by Wednesday, coast guard said previously.

It is not known how much diesel fuel and industrial fuel oil is in the water.

Provincial governor Humerlito Dolor said a search was still underway for the stricken tanker, estimated to be 460 metres (1,500 feet) below sea level, and stop it leaking.

"The coast guard made assurances to us that they are ready to syphon off the oil once they identify (the location)," Dolor told local media.

"Unfortunately, after two aerial surveillance (flights) we still can't find the exact location of the ship."

In the meantime, the coast guard has deployed oil spill booms to try to contain the material and sprayed chemicals to break down the oil.

Fishermen and tourism operators along the coast depend heavily on the waters for their livelihoods and there are concerns these could be at risk.

Oil has been spotted along a roughly 60-kilometre stretch of water between Naujan and Bongabong municipality, said Ram Temena, Oriental Mindoro disaster operations chief.

"We have many fish sanctuaries along the coast," Temena said.

"It could have a huge impact due to the possibility that the oil could attach to the coral reefs, affecting the marine biodiversity."

Some spillage has washed up on the shores of at least two villages in Naujan and one in Pola municipality.

Resort worker Andrea Riva said she and her colleagues were "keeping our fingers crossed" that the waves did not bring the spillage to the waters off Pinamalayan municipality, south of Pola.

Bongabong municipal disaster officer Michael Fanoga said fishermen had complained of a "foul smell" about two kilometres offshore.

"If it spreads in the shoreline, our beaches will be destroyed as well as the remaining coral," Fanoga said.