To minimize environmental damage, U.S. opts to lift stranded ship from Tubbataha
By: Abigail Kwok with reports from Philippine News Agency
January 24, 2013 4:34 PM
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines – In an effort to minimize environmental damage, officials of the United States Navy opted to lift the stranded minesweeper USS Guardian from Tubbataha Reef off Palawan.
Commander Armand Balilio, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard, said that according to Rear Admiral Thomas Carney, the commander of the Logistics Group in Western Pacific, the US Navy contracted crane ships from the Smit Towing Company in Singapore to lift USS Guardian and place it on a salvage barge and bring it to the nearest shipyard.
“Rear Adm. Thomas Carney announced that Task Force (Tubbataha) and the US Navy team had decided to choose lifting option to salvage USS Guardian,” said Balilio on Thursday.
The two crane ships are expected to arrive by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, a salvage ship, USS Salvor, is expected to arrive in the area Thursday night.
Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena, Coast Guard commandant, said lifting the ship was the “best option” to ensure the protection of the reefs.
“If we will drag the vessel definitely it will have more damage…(but) we do not discount other options depending on factors including weather, sea conditions,” Isorena said.
U.S. personnel have continued to siphon off fuel and remove equipment from the stranded vessel.
The Tubbataha Management Office earlier said it would impose a fine on the US Navy for damaging about 1,000 square meters of coral reefs in the 97,030-hectare no-navigation marine park.
Meanwhile, the Philippine News Agency reported that Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Abaya on Thursday said there was no oil leakage or spillage from the damaged to the hull and propeller of the ship.
Also, Abaya said based on the information he had received from Isorena, the minesweeper’s fuel tanks appeared to be intact.