BATAAN — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has successfully siphoned over 500,000 liters of oily waste from the MTKR Terranova, a sunken vessel off the coast of Bataan, in a major operation to mitigate environmental impact.
According to Philippines News Agency, the salvage company Harbor Star extracted a total of 506,000 liters of oily waste between August 19 and 26, with the highest single-day recovery reaching 121,724 liters on Saturday. This operation is part of ongoing efforts to remove the estimated 1.4 million liters of oil the tanker was carrying before it sank. The operation has reached a flow rate of oily waste extraction of up to 12,944 liters per hour.
The PCG has been closely monitoring the situation, with BRP Sindangan identifying an oil sheen 500 meters northeast from the site, which was treated using water canons to help break down the oil. Meanwhile, another vessel associated with the incident, the MTKR Jason Bradley, is still undergoing sealing and repair work.
Divers from the Coast Guard Special Operations Force (CGSOF) have conducted underwater surveys to ensure no additional oil leakage into surrounding waters. An oil spill response team has also been actively patrolling coastal areas and maritime zones around Sitio Bagong Sibol, Barangay Mt. View in Mariveles, Bataan to further assess and contain any environmental damage.
In a related effort, the MV Mirola 1, moored at the Diving Industry Shipyard in Mariveles, is also undergoing siphoning operations to prevent further pollution.