Asia/Pacific News
Bunker Spill in Phillipines River
An estimated 2,000 litres of bunker fuel has spilled into a river system in Rizal province, Phillipines, and could reach Laguna Lake, local media reports.
Laguna is the country's largest lake and understood to be a primary source of freshwater fish.
Solid Cement Corporation said in a statement that the bunker had leaked from a fuel storage tank in its Antipolo plant and that strong winds and heavy rain caused it to spread.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the spill was reported in the vicinity of the Teresa River on the morning of September 8.
A team consisting of the PCG and representatives from the Marine Environmental Protection also confirmed reports that traces of the spill were found on the Morong River in Barangay Poblacion, Morong, the nearest tributary leading to Laguna Lake.
Solid Cement has deployed three oil spill booms and will place additional booms at the mouth of the Morong; it has also dispatched its environmental, health and safety teams "to assess and contain the oil leak at identified areas in Antipolo, Teresa and Morong, Rizal."
Chito Maniago, communications director for Solid Cement, stated that its investigation into the cause of the leakage is ongoing: "We assure everyone that we are on top of the situation to immediately resolve this incident."
The last bunker spill to make headlines in the Philippines was in November of 2013, when the PCG contained a spill in waters off Sasa Wharf in Davao City.
