Japanese experts arriving to assess Guimaras oil spill
Experts from Japan will be arriving today to assess the Guimaras oil spill, and give their advice on containment and the coastal clean up operations.
Philippine Coast Guard-Iloilo commander Harold Jarder told The News Today over the phone yesterday that they are expecting the arrival of four oil spill experts all the way from Japan today.
On Monday afternoon, a representative of the Japanese Coast Guard was taken to the oil spill site and personally observed containment operations, particularly the spraying of oil dispersants, said Jarder, who is the on-scene commander for the containment operations.
The representative, whom he identified only as Commander Okubo, is the marine environmental protection officer for the JCG, and is part of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. (JICA). Okubo advised the PCG to continue with the spraying of oil dispersants in the meantime although supplies are already running low because of the immensity of the oil spill, Jarder said.
Japan is very knowledgeable in dealing with oil spills because they are situated in what is called as the highway for oil supertankers.
"A lot of oil supertankers pass by Japan bay," Jarder pointed out.
"So when it comes to equipment for oil spills, we're still in the stone age, while that of Japan is already in the modern age," he observed. Some of the equipment in the inventory of the PCG-recovery boats, skimmers, and oil spill booms-were donated by the JCG, Jarder added.
The four additional Japanese experts might be bringing with them oil spill equipment, he said.
However, the team will not be undertaking an underwater survey of the Solar I, which carried two million liters of bunker fuel when it sank two weeks ago off the southern coast of Guimaras island.
"That is too deep for divers," Jarder explained, referring to the site where the ship sunk.
The PCG expects the Japanese to provide techniques and recommendations on dealing with the disaster, including the aspect of shoreline clean up.
"You know they are very particular with the environment. They scrub each and every stone on the shore," Jarder said.