Underwater cleanup of coal spill underway

SAN FERNANDO, La Union – Mayor Pablo Ortega formed a team yesterday to conduct underwater cleanup of the coal spillage in the 75-hectare fish sanctuary in Barangay Lingsat here to prevent further damage.

Ortega ordered Valmar Valdez, city environment officer, to tap a local divers’ group, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Holcim Cement and local officials for the cleanup.

“We should clean this up immediately because it will endanger the source of livelihood of our fishermen,” he said.

Battered by heavy rains and strong winds, the Indonesian barge carrying 9,000 metric tons of coal bound for the Holcim plant, ran aground off this city, spilling part of its shipment.

But Ortega said they could not yet determine how much of the balls of coal spilled into the fish sanctuary.

He said water samples will be brought to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Manila to determine the effect of the contamination, while the Coastal Resources Management Office will assess the damage to the corals.