Philippines asks for hair, feathers to soak oil spill [View All]

CONCEPCION, Philippines (Reuters) - The Philippine Coast Guard appealed on Thursday for chicken feathers and human hair to help sponge up the country's worst oil spill. A tanker chartered by refiner Petron Corp. sank in heavy seas on August 11, oozing about a 10th of its 2 million liter cargo of industrial fuel off the central island of Guimaras, affecting 40,000 people and 200 km (120 miles) of coastline.

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Jarder said San Miguel Corp., Southeast Asia's largest food and beverage conglomerate, promised to donate one tonne of chicken feathers a day from its plants in Iloilo and nearby Bacolod City. Officials at San Miguel, the Philippines largest seller of poultry products, confirmed the plan but said details were still being worked out.

Les Reyes, owner of one of the country's largest hairdressing chains, said his 200 shops had started collecting hair clippings on Tuesday.

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Jarder said chicken feathers and human hair will be placed in sacks tied to bamboo poles and placed along the coastlines of affected villages.

Some communities in Guimaras are already using rice straw in sacks to try to contain the spill, which has affected 27 coastal villages and a marine reserve and is spreading in a northeast direction toward the islands of Negros, Cebu and Masbate.

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Japanese ship for Philippine spill cleanup delayed

JORDAN, Philippines, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A Japanese salvage ship hired to help clean up the Philippines' worst oil spill has developed mechanical problems, delaying its scheduled Saturday arrival by at least three days, officials said on Friday.

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The 998-tonne Solar 1 is believed to be lying 640 metres (2,100 feet) under water off Guimaras island, beyond the reach of Philippine divers. The developing Southeast Asian country also lacks the heavy equipment to reach the tanker.

"We need to determine the exact location and condition of Solar 1 so we can decide whether to siphon the oil, lift the ship entirely with the remaining fuel or entomb the tanker using cement or sediment," said Carlos Tan, Petron's health, safety and environment manager.

The Japanese salvage ship has equipment that provides images of the ocean floor from a remotely operated vehicle. The cost of its mission will be paid by the insurance firm of the tanker's owner, Sunshine Maritime Development Corp.

An inquiry into the ship's sinking has called on Sunshine to explain why Solar 1's captain was allowed to sail without any advanced training on oil tanker operations. The captain's licence was revoked earlier this week.

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