LIMAY, Bataan: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will monitor the impact to environment of the oil tanker vessel loaded with 1.4 million liters of industrial oil that sunk off the waters reportedly between Limay and Mariveles towns in Bataan at dawn of Thursday, July 25.
Environment Sec. Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga who motored to Limay said they were in the town to support the Philippine Coast Guard as incident commander and the local government. She conferred with Gov. Jose Enrique Garcia 3rd, Limay Mayor Nelson David, Vice Mayor Ritchie David, officials of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources and the PCG.
“Our assets are at the disposal particularly yung mayroon kaming isang barko na pwedeng humanap at isalba ang barko na iyon, so malocate man siya in order to support them so we can anticipate kung mayroon mang environment damage,” she said.
Loyzaga said there was no damage to the oil tanker. “Wala po, wala pa kalulubog pa lang yata so ang kailangan pong malaman kung saan siya ngayon at kung ano ang estado ng istraktura ng barko and then andito kami para tumulong.”
“May system na itatayo at kung may pangangailangan ay magtatayo din kami ng mga water quality at air quality stations in order to monitor yung impact sa environment. Kung tatagas man ang langis we also were able to see how many of our ecosystem could be affected pero wala pang analysis diyan kasi hahanapin pa rin kung saan talaga siya lumubog ,” the DENR secretary said.
Loyzaga said report from the PCG showed that 16 out of 17 crews of the oil tanker were rescued while in the lookout for one still missing.
Vice Mayor David said he could not give the exact coordinates where oil tanker ship Terra Nova capsized at 1:00 a.m of July 25. “Pero it is between Mariveles and Limay territorial sea at hindi pa din klaro kung ano talaga ang dahilan ng pagkalubog but may mga initial reports but again ayoko muna idisclose dahil mas gusto natin makuha yung mas kumpleto at mas accurate na report.”
He said that as of now there is no danger of an oil spill. “As of now, silyado naman daw ang tangke kaya kasalukuyang gumagawa ng paraan para unang-una ma-save ang mga crew. Ang mga crew naman andito ang iba at ang iba naman ay nasa pagkupkop ng ating mga coast guard.”
David said they were studying on how the LGU can help in the retrieval or lifting of the sunken vessel. “At the same time, bukod sa masamang panahon ipinagbabawal na muna ang mangisda doon sa area.”
Governor Garcia said the PCG, DENR and agencies of LGUs of Limay and Bataan are in coordination to ensure that the possible oil spill will be contained. “So far ang balita na nakukuha natin from the ground although masama pa ang panahon ay totally lumubog na.”
“Ang lalim ng ating Manila Bay ay 30 meters so ano iyan hindi imposible na magawan ng paraan para safely, securely mailabas yung laman ng tanker na langis para hindi maka-apekto sa ating kapaligiran lalo na sa ating karagatan,” the governor furthered.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang pakikipag coordinate natin sa may-ari ng vessel, naka insure naman ang vessel at ang sabi din ay double colt yung vessel natin kaya malaking tsansa na hindi magkakaroon ng malaking epekto sa ating karagatan lalo na dito sa probinsiya ng Bataan, Garcia added. (30)
