The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted a final inspection at the site where the MTKR Terranova capsized in Bataan on Thursday, September 12.
According to the PCG report, the contracted salvor, Harbor Star, recovered 1,415,954 liters of oil and an additional 17,725 kilograms of solid oily waste. They have achieved a 97.43% recovery rate as of Thursday.
“The remaining 37,867 liters, accounting for 2.57% of the total oil cargo, were lost due to various factors such as biodegradation, dissipation, absorption by sorbent booms, and unplumbable sludge left in the tanks,” the Harbor star said.
Additionally, Harbor Star conducted a final stripping operation to ensure empty cargo oil tanks (COTs), as emphasized by the Incident Command Post to prevent oil leakage or contamination for the upcoming salvage operation.
The final inspection was overseen by the Marina Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM) Commander Vice Admiral Roy Echeverria PCG. Also, local officials of Bataan and other local government unit (LGU) representatives participated in the inspection.
On July 25, the MTRK Terranova capsized and sank 3.6 nautical miles east of Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan. Following the incident, two more vessels were found by the PCG to have sunk and run aground.
The province of Bataan was declared under a state of calamity due to the impact of the oil spill, affecting the provinces of Cavite and Bulacan.
