From Panay News: FORCED EVACUATION ‘Residents near oil spill site must leave’ Leak now higher than ‘permissible’ amount By REYSHIMAR ARGUELLES ILOILO — Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. yesterday ordered the forced evacuation of 1,100 families living near the oil spill site in Brgy. Botongon, Estancia town. Dr. Marilyn Convocar, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH), said they recommended the relocation amid rising concerns on the health hazards caused by the spilling bunker fuel. Power Barge 103 of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) slammed against the rocky shoreline of the barangay at the height of super typhoon “Yolanda” on November 8. It spilled into the sea about 200,000 liters of bunker fuel from its punctured hull. Convocar said they came up with the recommendation during yesterday’s special meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. She said the families — about 5,000 individuals — must be evacuated at least 100 meters away from the oil spill site. A toxicology team sent by the DOH, East Avenue Medical Center and the Philippine General Hospital found high levels of benzene on the site. It discovered that the leak was already reaching “16.9 parts per million (ppm.)” — extremely higher that the permissible limit of 0.5 ppm. Residents exposed to the chemical may suffer from cough and fever, said Dr. Bessie Antonio, a toxicologist from the East Avenue Medical Center. Among the long-term effects of the exposure are leukemia, lung cancer and aplastic anemia, the expert said. Upon the order of Defensor, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office under Senior Supt. Cornelio Salinas has sent to the site personnel who will carry out the forced evacuation. The residents near the oil spill site have been warned against prolonged exposure to the leaking bunker fuel. But most of them, especially those in the coastal barangays of Estancia and the neighboring town of Batad, have firmly decided to stay, Defensor said on Thursday. Those who live in Brgy. Botongon do not want to leave their houses for personal reasons, he said, adding that the municipal government of Estancia has not provided the exposed residents a relocation site. Estancia Mayor Rene Cordero, on the other hand, told the DOH that they have already identified a relocation site, but some of the residents still refused to leave the area. Convocar also said yesterday that Cordero assured them that a relocation site has been prepared for the affected families. Gladys Sta. Rita, president of Napocor, informed Defensor yesterday that they awarded an P87-million contract to Kuan Yu Global Technologies Inc. to siphon usable oil from the barge, and refloat the barge and tow it for dry docking. Some 1,200,000 liters of bunker oil remaining in the fuel tanks need to be unloaded. The contractor started the cleanup operations yesterday to contain the spill and prevent the oil from reaching the shores of other municipalities. Defensor said the provincial government has sent about 100 drums as containers for the spilled bunker fuel. Senate President Franklin Drilon, who was in Iloilo City last week, was also briefed on the oil spill incident. He revealed that Power Barge 103 was already sold to a private company but has not been issued a contract yet. (With a report from Philippines News Agency/PN)
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 09:51:02 +0000
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