ILOILO City – AC Energy Philippines, owner of the power barge which spilled bunker fuel into the coast of Iloilo City and Guimaras following an explosion on July 3, is doing okay in its cleanup activity, said the regional chief of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) here.
Atty. Raman Neil Pascua, EMB regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said, “In fact, we may soon recommend that affected families return to their homes. The current sampling on the toxicity level of the affected areas is giving a good sign.”
“As of now, we got zero on the presence of hydrogen sulfide and there’s a very safe level of benzene,” Pascua added.
Petroleum fuel oils such as bunker fuel oil can contain hydrogen sulfide. Exposure to concentrations of hydrogen sulfide may cause irritation to the eyes, nose or throat. It may also cause difficulty in breathing for some asthmatics.
Benzene, on the other hand, which is also present in bunker fuel is classified as a carcinogen. It increases the risk of cancer and other illnesses.
Pascua also said that with the pace AC Energy is conducting its cleanup efforts of the oil spill, the company may be able to finish it by Aug. 3 as stated in their timeline.
“They still have more than two weeks to finish it and with the rate it is going I believe it is doable,” he said.
Of the 268,948.61 liters of bunker oil spilled into the coast of Iloilo City as verified by the Philippine Coast Guard, some 95 percent have already been recovered by the cleanup team organized by AC Energy.
The remaining five percent, accordingly, refers to floaters which naturally evaporate or either stick to sea walls, or carried away by tidal movements.
In a separate interview with radio station RMN-DyRI Iloilo, Pascua said AC Energy is religiously following the environment management plan (EMP) that aims to address the environmental impact of the oil spill.
The EMP, which was submitted by AC Energy, discussed the detailed plans of the company and the relevant timeline for the implementation of such plans in relation to the key areas which the DENR-EMB stressed and highlighted during a technical conference shortly after the oil spill incident.
The key areas cover the following:
* completion of oil spill cleanup and ensuring that water quality is restored to safe levels
* continued monitoring of air quality and ensuring that air quality is safe before affected families are allowed to return to their homes
* proper collection and disposal of oil contaminated materials and wastes
* rehabilitation plan for the affected mangrove areas and fisheries
Pascua said the recovered debris from the oil spill incident is now scheduled for transport to Region 3 which they have identified as area of disposal.
“As soon as the debris has been put in a sealed container van or drums, we will immediately transport it to the designated disposal in Region 3,” he said./PN
