Oil spill contained

The Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday it has finally contained the oil spill from a power barge of National Power Corp. that ran aground last Dec. 19 off Semirara Island in Cebu.

Vice Admiral Arthur Gosingan, Coast Guard commandant, said Coast Guard vessels were deployed in the area and assisted in containing and cleaning up the oil spill.

The Napocor barge, which was carrying bunker fuel, hit the shallow waters of Sitio Bobog in Semirara due to the inclement weather.

Damage to the barge’s hull caused the bunker fuel to leak out into the sea, threatening the immediate areas.

The Coast Guard responded by deploying a helicopter and Islander aircraft to conduct an aerial survey and determine the extent of the oil spill and the threat to nearby areas.

In a report, Commodore Antonio Lalisan, of the Coast Guard’s Marine Environmental Protection Command, said about 15 drums or 3,000 liters of bunker oil leaked out from the damaged barge and reached the shores of Semirara Island.

The oil spill affected one and a half kilometers of mangroves and continues to threaten nearby tourist areas, Lalisan said.

Gosingan directed Coast Guard personnel to ensure that these tourist areas are not affected.

The Coast Guard is mandated to protect the marine environment in accordance with international conventions, particularly from oil pollution from ships.