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Toxic substance removed from sunken Sulpicio ship
Oct. 8, 2008
Jordan L. Go, Sulpicio Lines, Inc. vice-president for freight, confirmed that the operation has been completed, with the retrieved packs of the toxic pesticide to be turned over to the presidential task force overseeing the operations based on a recent court decision.
United States-based Titan Maritime and its local partner Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc. removed 400 packs of toxic pesticide endosulfan, with each pack weighing 25 kilograms (kg) inside a 40-foot container van. The highly regulated chemical shipped by Del Monte Philippines, Inc. is used as pesticide in pineapple plantations.
"We will have to proceed with the removal of other chemicals and the fuel," Mr. Go said in a telephone interview.
M/V Princess of the Stars, which capsized on June 21 off Romblon province at the height of typhoon Frank (international code name: Fensheng), shipped 10,000 kg of endosulfan that halted the grim search of bodies amid fears that operations may cause environmental disaster.
Authorities later on discovered smaller chemical shipments by Bayer CropScience, Inc., including 392 kg of Antracol WP70, 501 kg of Fuerza GR3, 17.5 kg of Trap 70WP and 150 liters of Tamaron 600SL. About 250,000 liters of special fuel oil remained intact.
Vice-Admiral Wilfredo D. Tamayo, Philippine Coast Guard commandant, expects the salvage work to be finished earlier than scheduled.
On Sept. 30, Transportation Undersecretary for maritime affairs and Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Ma. Elena H. Bautista, chief of Task Force M/V Princess of the Stars, announced that the retrieval of endosulfan will be completed "within 12 to 16 days."
Salvage work started last Sept. 24, and the $7.55-million (about P356.84 million on P47.26 rate) contract is expected to be finished in one month.
Mr. Go said they will work on a contract with Harbor Star for the removal of hundreds of bodies trapped inside the vessel.
The sunken vessel carried more than 850 passengers and crew. More than 30 survived and more than 800 are presumed dead, with many bodies still trapped inside the ship.
Source: Business World
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