Philippine Oil Spill Grows as Environmentalists Fear Worst is yet to Come
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The worst oil spill in the history of the Philippines is spreading, according to local Coast Guard officials. Philippine Coast Guard officials now say that the sunken “SOLAR I” is leaking even more oil, perhaps as much as 50 gallons per hour. The vessel’s charterers, Petron - which is partly government owned - immediately disputed that claim, saying that aerial surveys had confirmed that the vessel was no longer leaking. Nevertheless, the Philippines civil defense office said earlier this week that the spill had now spread over some 200 miles of coastline on Guimaras Island and was now threatening other nearby land masses.
The doomed vessel went down in bad weather off the small Philippine island of Guimaras on August 11, spilling an estimated 50,000 gallons of fuel oil that has soiled reefs, beaches and marine reserve areas. Two of the ship’s crew members are still missing. About 450,000 gallons of fuel oil is thought to be still on board the vessel, which rests some 900 meters below the surface.
Environmental watchdog Greenpeace said Sunday that it was "shocked" by the extent of damage and urged the government to move quickly in dealing with the spill. Environmentalists have described the sunken vessel as a ticking time bomb. But, government officials in the Philippines have admitted that they are poorly equipped to deal with the task of raising the vessel and have asked for international assistance. President Gloria Arroyo on Saturday said the government had requested the help of the United States, Japan and Indonesia to try and refloat the tanker. Meanwhile, Coast Guard spokespersons are saying that the slick, stretching 15 nautical miles, is being carried by ocean currents into the Guimaras Strait opposite the sugar-growing island of Negros. It is now feared that the spill has destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of people dependent on fishing for a living.
A Manila newspaper on Sunday said the captain of the tanker was not properly trained to handle the ship. The findings of a preliminary investigation by the Maritime Industry Authority showed he did not have "advance training on oil tanker operations," according to a report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Japanese and U.S. experts are reportedly on the way to assist in the cleanup operation. As many as three US Coast Guard experts were expected to be on scene this week.