San Fernando City oil spill totally cleaned

By Jennilyne C. Role

Sunday 26th of February 2012

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Feb. 26 (PIA) -- The Philippine Coast Guard Northern Luzon has reported that the Tier 1 oil spill along the coastline of Poro Point Pier, Bgy. Poro on February 21, Tuesday, is now 100 percent cleaned.

The oil spill incident was caused by Chevron Bulk Plant while receiving automotive diesel oil (ADO) product from M/T Panglao Island.

The motor tanker was supposed to transfer two million liters of ADO using the receiving pipe line to Chevron Bulk Plant, but after more than two hours of operation, it was stopped due to the evident spill of diesel oil in the sea. The receiving pipeline has a leak that caused the oil spill.

“The volume of the oil spill is not more than 10,000 liters which is categorically classified as a Tier 1 Spill, and no further damage to marine life was reported,” Capt. George Ursabia, Jr., Commander of the Coast Guard District Northwestern Luzon said.

The Chevron Oil Company contained the oil spill by rigging out a 400-meter oil spill boom and made use of an oil skimmer in recovering the contained spilled ADO from the sea to a lowry truck, with the assistance of the Shell Oil Company and the supervision of the Philippine Coast Guard.

An emergency meeting of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council was conducted on February 22 with representatives from the Chevron Batangas and Manila Office. (JCR-PIA 1 La Union)