Oil Continues to Leak from Solar 1

The team of Japanese experts who flew into the country to help assess the the damage caused by the sinking of the M/T Solar 1 and the resulting oil spill said oil continues to leak out from the tanker, a statement from the Japanese embassy said Tuesday. In Guimaras, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza to conduct a full-blown inquiry into the August 11 sinking, which has led to widespread ecological damage and driven away tourists from the resorts of the island province. After a week of operations, the four-man Japan Disaster Relief Team recommended the continued and periodic aerial survey of the affected area to monitor any sudden changes in the amount of oil coming out of the tanker. The team, composed of three Japan Coast Guard experts and an official of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, submitted its recommendations to the National Disaster Coordinating Council. Arroyo said she received reports that the vessel, chartered by Petron Corporation and carrying some two million liters of oil, had capsized. She said the Board of Marine inquiry looking into the incident should also investigate this. Source: INQ7