Green group raises alarm over possible coal spill in Palawan

An environmental group has expressed alarm over a possible coal spill off the coast of northern Palawan after a foreign barge carrying coal ran aground in the area due to rough seas. Marivic Matillano, project manager of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Live Reef and Sustainability program in Palawan, told GMANews.TV in a phone interview that a possible coal spill may have occurred off the coast of Taytay town after Indonesian barge MB Ivan Batan ran aground there on Tuesday. The barge supposedly broke off a tugboat, TB Seapine, due to strong winds. "From the looks of it, we think there’s a coal spill there, since the barge is still out there, tilted and being hit by strong waves," Matillano said in an interview on Tuesday night. She added, however, that WWF divers will still verify on Wednesday morning if coal from the sea vessel actually reached the seafloor. The barge could have also hit coral reefs in the area, which according to Matillano may cause "massive environmental damage." The local WWF official also said the environmental group is planning to assist the Taytay local government in filing charges against the captain of the barge for supposedly causing pollution and damage to natural resources. According to the Interspill 2009 conference white paper, coal spills have no proven toxic or coating effects on marine life, but may bring about locally substantial "smothering effect" on reefs and marine vegetation. Also, coal dust accumulating ashore onto beaches may become a nuisance. Coast Guard: No coal spill The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), for its part, said no coal spill has been reported around the area where MB Ivan Batan ran aground as of 7 p.m. Tuesday. The PCG also said in a report posted on its website on Tuesday night that both the tugboat and the barge have already been taken to “a safer sheltering area" after the incident. Coast Guard officials and marine environmental protection personnel will also be sent to the area to further assess the situation. The PCG has also directed the crew of the sea vessels to contact their company to immediately salvage the barge and the tugboat. —JV/RSJ, GMANews.TV