TeaM Energy ships are not red tide carriers

This is in reply to the article titled “Ships with coal seen as red tide ‘carriers’” (Across the Nation, 10/4/14), written by Gabriel Cardinoza.

The story mentions that the red tide outbreak that hit the coastal waters of Alaminos, Pangasinan may have come from ships delivering coal to the Sual power station, which carried harmful algae accidentally introduced to the Lingayen Gulf.

In reaction to the story, please allow us to state the following facts:

• TeaM Energy’s Sual power station periodically conducts a thorough monitoring of coastal waters and surrounding marine resources. The monitoring covers physical oceanography, corals and associated reef fish, plankton, soft-bottom bentos, seagrass and seaweeds

• There has been no recorded incidence of red tide in the coastal waters of Sual.

• The most recent results gathered from a study conducted by marine biologists from Aecom Philippines show that no harmful algal blooms or red tide have been found in the area from 2011 to May 2014.

• The coastal waters in Sual remain red-tide-free even though ships delivering coal stay in the area for at least five days.

• The coal ships draw in ballast water from the Sual jetty area, which is red-tide-free.

Rest assured, TeaM Energy remains committed to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner, in compliance with all pertinent environment rules and regulations, as we have always been in our years of operations.

—FROILAN GREGORY H. ROMUALDEZ III,

head of external affairs,

TeaM Energy Corp.