US Coast Guard, NOAA Join Philippine Efforts to Address Bataan Oil Spill

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Members of the United States Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have arrived in Limay, Bataan to provide technical assistance in the Philippines' response to the recent oil spill incident. The eight-man team from the US will work with the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) Incident Management Team to aid in the recovery efforts for the three sunken and grounded ships off the coast of Bataan.


The oil spill was caused by the capsizing and sinking of the MTKR Terranova on July 25, approximately 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan. The motor tanker was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil at the time of the incident, which claimed the life of one crew member while 16 others were rescued.


To prevent a potential environmental disaster, the PCG is working to replace the initial capping bags on the valves of the MTKR Terranova with metal caps before commencing the siphoning operation. Of the 1.4 million liters of fuel oil, 300,000 liters need to be siphoned to float the motor tanker, a process that could take up to seven days.


In addition to the MTKR Terranova, two other vessels have faced issues in the waters of Bataan. The MTKR Jason Bradley, carrying 5,500 diesel, sank in the vicinity waters of Barangay Cabcaben, Mariveles, Bataan on July 26. Salvage operations for the MTKR Jason Bradley are ongoing, with divers preparing for pipe insertion by clearing debris.


The MV Mirola 1 also ran aground in the vicinity waters of Sitio Quiapo, Barangay Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan on July 31. The PCG has collected 790 liters of oil-water mixture and five sacks of oil-contaminated debris from the grounded vessel.


The oil spill has had a significant impact on the surrounding areas, with the estimated cost of damage in Cavite reaching P1 billion. A state of calamity has been declared in nine coastal local government units in Cavite due to the oil spill incident from MTKR Terranova. Additionally, a "no catch" and "no sell zone" for all shellfish has been imposed for all coastal areas of the province.


The arrival of the US Coast Guard and NOAA teams underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for international cooperation in addressing the environmental crisis caused by the Bataan oil spill. The Philippines continues to work diligently to mitigate the impact of the spill and restore the affected ecosystems.

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