Gov. Vi calls for immediate action on Nasugbu coal spill

Batangas, Philippines – Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto appealed to all concerned parties to take immediate action in cleaning up the coastline of Nasugbu town to avoid an environmental disaster after a coal-loaded barge ran aground, spilling at least 40 percent of its cargo.

In an emergency meeting with the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council on Monday which she chairs, Santos-Recto also urged the barge owner, PT Transpower Marine, through its Indonesian representative Didik Surdianto, to assume their responsibility as the coal spill could damage marine life in Batangas Bay.

“Immediate action should be implemented on this sea mishap so as not to endanger the lives of residents and tourists and jeopardize the local economy,” she said.

Also present during the meeting were, among others, Batangas police director Senior Superintendent Alberto Supapo, provincial administrator Victor Reyes, the governor’s chief of staff Pedrito Martin Dijan Jr., and Reynaldo Garcia, coordinator of Nasugbu Municipal Development Planning Council.

Lt. Commander Troy Cornelio, Philippine Coast Guard-Batangas chief, said the Singapore-based barge owner would shoulder all expenses, including the cleanup of the affected area.

Meanwhile, Omega Steel Marine, a salvaging firm, would start removing the 4,902 metric tons of coal on board the troubled barge as well as the 3,200 metric tons of coal that fell into the water, the PCG said.

The operation, according to the PCG, would have three phases, starting with the removal of the coal from the barge using a crane.

The salvaging firm would next conduct underwater repairs on the barge and then pull it out from the spot where it ran aground.

The salvaging firm though has yet to submit its timetable on the removal of both the coal and the barge, Cornelio said.

The PCG has confirmed that the coal spill has already reached the shoreline of Batangas Bay.

The PCG-Batangas’ environmental group said the discoloration of the water around the barge is now evident, apparently reaching the shoreline of Sitio Ibaba in Nasugbu town.

“The coal spill has already reached the shoreline that’s why he have cordoned and quarantined the area,” Cornelio said, adding that the affected area now covers about 4,500 square meters of seabed and shorelines.