Published: January 5, 2015
MANILA – The Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) on Monday expressed “deep alarm” over possible contamination of the marine environment along the coast of Antique from a coal barge that had reportedly run aground at the height of Typhoon Seniang.
For its part, CitizenWatch, a network of professionals advocating for a more proactive citizenry in governance, said responsible parties must be held accountable for the possible contamination, including Semirara Mining Corporation, the country’s largest coal producer, and the Manila-based shipping company Asian Shipping Corp.
According to reports, the barge carrying more than 6,000 metric tons of Semirara coal, was on its way from Semirara Island in Antique to Toledo City in Cebu. It encountered problems off the coast of Balud village in the town of Tobias Fournier.
PBEST said it was is concerned over the magnitude of environmental destruction that such a huge amount of coal pollution could pose to the marine ecosystem, especially to a recognized hotspot of marine biodiversity such as the Philippine archipelago.
PBEST Secretary General Ysan Castillo said a similar case in Colombia in 2013 caused affected fishermen’s catches to decline by up to 60 percent, in addition to other harmful effects. "It also impacted marine life because the mining company, which dumped some 1,900 tons of coal to the ocean, just decided to leave it there. Even businesses along the coast complained how the coal dust have hurt their businesses,“ Castillo said.