...but fewer helpers less harmful

CEBU, Philippines - While more and more volunteers are extending help to clean up the oil spill from the sunken MV Saint Thomas Aquinas, experts have recommended that this be prohibited since it may “do more damage than good.”

Dr. Resurreccion Sadaba, an oil spill expert from the University of the Philippines Visayas, recommended that less people should be allowed to help in the cleanup operations since less “foot traffic” means the oil won’t be pressed in deeper to the soil which makes it less harder to take out. This plus the effects of the oil in the health of the people.

“I know this is all well-meaning. But we don’t want to expose you to the danger of health hazards,” he said.

In an interview with the media yesterday, Sadaba explained that since oil is still leaking from the sunken vessel, there should be continuous efforts to protect the shoreline where the oil is leading.

The town of Cordova has reportedly been the most affected with hectares of mangrove and fishpens draped in oil.

With this, Sadaba said the best way the volunteers would be able to help would be by preparing improvised oil spill booms.

“We need more manpower doon,” said Sadaba, adding that after the oil spill booms are made, the cleanup workers will put it in place using small boats.

Apart from this, Sadaba recommended that no chemical dispersants be used to contain the oil spill.

Sadaba was part of the team that assessed the oil spill in Guimaras in 2006 when the oil tanker, MT Solar 1 sank in the coast of Guimaras and Negros Island.

Compared to that oil spill, Sadaba said that the one in Cordova is much lesser and can be eventually dispersed by the high tide.

But like the Guimaras incident, Sadaba said he recommends for rapid assessment of the mangrove area of Cordova, as well as areas that have been reached by the oil spill.

However, Sadaba explained that they would need funding for the assessment since a lot of studies need to be done and a lot of people would need to be taken in.

He said though that there can be cost-sharing and they can lead the research in partnership with the local universities like UP Cebu and the University of San Carlos.

“This is a totally different spill. We have to do this in a scientific manner,” he said.  (FREEMAN)