Eight experts from the United States have arrived in the Philippines to support efforts by the Philippine Coastguard (PCG) to respond to an oil spill off the coast of Oriental Mindoro. At the request of the Philippine government, the experts will provide subject matter expertise and assess the affected areas in order to decide the best ways to contain and clean up the spill from the sunken tanker MT Princess Empress. The team contains five members from the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) National Strike Force, a U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, as well as two experts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The latter will work closely with the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources to conduct rapid environmental assessments of affected areas, identify priority areas at risk of environmental damage, and assess needs for ecosystem restoration. Funding for their operation has come from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The USCG experts previously received a briefing from the PCG and the Japan Disaster Relief Expert Team about oil-spill mitigation actions taken so far.
