Coast Guard cleans, inspects Bacolod waters after weekend oil spill

Response teams from the Philippine Coast Guard cleaned up the waters off an oil depot in Bacolod City following an oil spill in the area last weekend.

 

Coast Guard teams still inspected the underwater pipeline of Petron Corp. Monday for possible signs of leaks, radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported.

 

In a report on its website Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard said its personnel in Bacolod and crewmembers of the tanker Emilio Jacinto had scooped up the oil mixture that leaked from a submarine pipe off the Petron Depot Jetty in Barangay Banago, Bacolod City last Saturday.

 

An initial investigation showed the oil sheen near the vessel was spotted by a duty watchman at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

 

The Emilio Jacinto was transferring fuel to the depot at the time.

 

The transfer operation was stopped and further inspection showed the oil spill was caused by a leaking submarine pipe.

 

Some 300 liters of bunker fuel reportedly leaked, the Coast Guard said.

 

Coast Guard Marine Environmental Protection Unit personnel coordinated with the depot manager to use their oil spill equipment to clean up the spill.

 

By 10 p.m. Saturday, the joint team had deployed oil spill booms to contain the spilled oil. 

 

At 6 a.m. Sunday, the joint team recovered at least four drums of what the Coast Guard described as an "oily mixture." — BM, GMA News