NDCC assures effort to prevent further spread of oil spill
by ES Subong
(11 October) -- The National Disaster Coordinating Council has assured the media here that it is on its toes all the time to make sure that the oil will not spread and cause more harm, during the regular Press Briefing by the Task Force Oil Spill.
NDCC spokesperson Dr. Anthony Rolando Golez said that their prime objectives are the health and security of the people and how to help them cope and at the same time contain further spread of oil.
Golez also said that the deliberate and careful moves of the Task Force in treating the oil spill situation is to avoid the occurrence of another disaster, should the weather turn bad.
As of date the Task Force Solar Oil Spill (TF SOS) is implementing the conduct of a science-based inspection to areas where the physical clean-up was completed, which indicates that oily debris or any oil-contaminated materials on the surface were already collected, placed in sacks and set aside for collection.
Meanwhile, a Clean Bill of Health Committee was created earlier by the Task Force to oversee the conduct of inspection by the teams composed of the DENR, DOH, DA, Philippine coast Guard, the local government units, DOST, the UP in the Visayas, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Regional Development and Petron.
The teams will be looking into indicators of safety as far as human, marine and terrestrial life habitation are concerned. They will be studying and subjecting for appropriate laboratory analysis samples for coastal water, drinking water, sediments and fish caught in the area.
The results of the inspections will be used by the Task Force SOS in finalizing the work program for the conduct of the detailed clean-up. Detailed clean-up means the conduct of clean-up operations on the areas where oil remains present after the collection of oily debris, like rocky shoreline and mangrove areas.
The stage two clean-up will be under the technical supervision of the Philippine coast Guard in close coordination with the KGUs and the scientific community.
Secretary Lito Coscolluela said that the taskforce is banking on the active participation of the local government units in the province in the conduct of inspections. (PIA) [top]
