Toxic cargo retrieval starts

MANILA, Philippines - The retrieval of toxic cargo in a sunken vessel in the Visayas starts Saturday. The owner of the sunken M/V Princess of the Stars, Sulpicio Lines, Inc., has settled the payment to the contracted salvor, an official said Thursday. Transportation Undersecretary for maritime affairs Ma. Elena H. Bautista, chief of Task Force M/V Princess of the Stars, said in a text message that Harbour Star, the local partner of United States-based Titan Salvage Corp. contracted by Sulpicio Lines, had confirmed that the full payment of $8 million was received Thursday. The payment will be transmitted to Titan Friday and the salvage activity will last for 21 days. The interisland ferry carried more than 850 passengers and crewmembers. Only a portion of the 23,800-ton vessel’s hull is still seen jutting out of the water after it capsized on June 21 off Sibuyan island in Romblon province at the height of typhoon Frank (international code name: Fensheng). It went down with 10,000 kilograms (kg) of the toxic pesticide endosulfan shipped by Del Monte Philippines, Inc. Bayer CropScience, Inc. also shipped chemicals namely Antracol WP70 (392 kg), Fuerza GR3 (501 kg), Trap 70WP (17.5 kg) and Tamaron 600SL (150 liters). The discovery of the chemicals forced authorities to halt the search and retrieval operations in the area as the chemicals may pose risk to the health of the frogmen and residents. A temporary fishing ban was also imposed within a five-kilometer radius around the shipwreck. A United Nations team that tested water samples in the area recorded no contamination. More than 30 people survived the tragedy, more than 200 died, while the rest remained missing and believed to have been trapped inside the upturned ship. — Bernard U. Allauigan, BusinessWorld