Ilocos oil spill widens due to rough seas

MANILA, Philippines – The oil spill from an abandoned North Korean cargo ship which ran aground off Pagudpud town in Ilocos Norte has spread from three to four kilometers due to the rough seas, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday.

Capt. George Ursabia, PCG-Northern Luzon District commander, quoted the PCG Marine Environment Protection Command as saying that the spill rate increased to about 200 liters per hour.

But Ursabia assured residents that they have nothing to worry since the PCG has been regularly spraying chemical dispersant in the affected area and that only small particles of bunker oil are visible along the shoreline.

“Oil spill booms were already placed in the affected portions, particularly in the area where the water is still brownish which was contaminated by industrial diesel oil to prevent the leak from further spreading” Ursabia said.

The M/V Yang Nam 8, positioned a few meters away from the shoreline of Pagudpud, reportedly carried a total of 116,000 cubic liters of bunker fuel in its fuel tank.

The vessel, according to information reaching the PCG, was originally loaded with 2,600 metric tons of allegedly smuggled iron sand while on its way to Fujian, China from the anchorage area in Aparri, Cagayan.

A diver from the salvaging firm Royal Jessan Petromin Resources Inc. is reportedly at the site trying to locate the leak. Another salvaging firm, Harbor Star, would also send personnel to the area.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it would conduct water sampling and assess the extent of the oil spill, including the damage.

In a report to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, Region 1 executive director Samuel Penafiel said the Bureau of Customs “should find ways to compensate for the environmental and livelihood losses that resulted from the non-retrieval of the vessel.”  – With Rhodina Villanueva