VULNERABILITY OF PANDACAN OIL DEPOT AND PIPELINE
The Philippine Star
03/18/11

With the ongoing review of buildings and other infrastructures vulnerable to earthquakes, it is perhaps timely to bring up the continued existence of the Pandacan oil depots in one of the metropolis’ more densely populated area as well as the future of the underground oil product pipeline running from Batangas to Metro Manila.

With the recent warning that that comes with the statement issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on the West Valley Fault, the certainty of another earthquake even this year is a reality that must not be taken lightly.

The West Valley Fault line, running from Sierra Madre through eastern Metro Manila to Southern Tagalog, has entered its cycle and therefore could move anytime and subsequently generate a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, according to Phivolcs.

Early warnings

While Phivolcs is forced to qualify that the West Valley Fault could move anytime from between now and 200 years hence, the recent occurrences of earthquakes along the Pacific Ring of Fire should be enough warning to make us think twice that there is something to what our scientists and nature are saying.

At the western portion of the Ring of Fire, New Zealand and Japan are two countries that have more recently been subjected to strong earthquakes. It should be noteworthy to point out that the Philippines is smack right in the center of both Japan and New Zealand in this side of this seismic belt.

Furthermore, the tectonic plates south of Japan is beside that on the northern part of the Philippines. We all know that when a tectonic plate moves, those near or linked to it are affected.

Pandacan’s vulnerability

Given fair warning, we should be wise enough to seriously look at how badly we could be affected should an earthquake hits us. If Japan, with its strict building codes, had two of its refineries’ storage tanks burning on the aftermath of its 8.9-magnitude quake, our Pandacan facility could also be vulnerable.

Rebuilt after the war, the 36-heactare Pandacan oil depots is now in the middle of a bustling community that includes an elementary and high school where some 15,000 students are enrolled, a huge urban poor community of about 85,000 people, and numerous small- and medium-sized commercial establishments.

For years, after Pandacan residents started to lobby for the oil product storage facilities to be relocated away from its current location to a less populated and safer place, the three oil companies of Shell, Petron and Chevron had always maintained that their storage tanks were not minimally vulnerable to earthquakes, even sabotage.

Well, now we know better. Yes, as Japan’s recent experience demonstrates, an earthquake can cause a run-away conflagration among oil storage tanks that not even Japan’s vaunted topnotch earthquake disaster preparedness capability could prevent.

Questionable integrity of 40-year-old pipeline

On another point, if First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC) and Shell are allowed to resume its petroleum pipeline operations from Batangas to Manila, there is the possibility that fires could erupting along its 117-kilometer route should a bad earthquake occur.

Fortunately, the pipeline is currently not in operation, and rightly so since its integrity is under question. The government had ordered its closure when it was confirmed that the source of a petroleum leak that had collected at the basement of a Makati City condominium was no less than pinholes on the 40-year-old pipeline.

While remediation of the affected land and building is ongoing, which according to the contractor undertaking the work could take as long as five years to bring back to an almost pre-leak state, the fate of the pipeline operations is still unclear.

The pipeline owners, Shell and FPIC, would likely be under pressure to make a decision in the near future on whether to abandon the pipeline completely. The above-mentioned leak only underscores the fact that the pipeline has seen better days.

Technically capable regulatory agencies

However, should a new pipeline be built, several urgent matters should be clearly resolved. One is to ensure that all areas where the old pipeline passes is free from any leak, and if so, should undergo similar remediation that would protect the environment and people drawing their water needs from the area.

Second, a new pipeline must be constructed making use of the latest technologies and must strictly conform to international standards of safety. Furthermore, the path that the pipeline will use must be known to give people living near it an early warning of the risks they face.

Lastly, as we have learned from the FPIC case, self-regulation is not always effective. Government regulatory agencies must have the technical capability and authority to oversee construction, maintenance, and even dismantling of pipelines, whether used to transport gases or liquids like oil, water and sewage, or to house electrical and communication wires.

Indecisions

Situated within that U-shaped belt where 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes and 80 percent of the world’s largest earthquakes happen, the Philippine government should strive to protect its citizens by coming up with laws and regulations that best anticipate the devastating effect that natural disasters could bring.

Disaster preparedness is a mindset that our government executives have difficulty comprehending, and this is not only reflected in the existence of inadequate laws, but also in the loose implementation of regulations and the near absence of disaster mitigation programs.

The continued stay of the Pandacan oil depots is a clear example. It is a risk to the lives of people who work and live in the area, and yet, for over a decade now, the government is caught in indecisiveness of pursuing relocation.

P-Noy was glad when the Philippines was spared from the devastating effects of the tsunami from the Japanese earthquake. With all the vulnerabilities existing around us, we may not be that lucky next time when similar natural calamities occur in our midst.

Are we waiting for the worst to happen before we act?

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, SalcedoVillage, 1227 MakatiCity. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net