US Navy apologizes for Tubbataha grounding

From Rappler (Jan 21): US Navy apologizes for Tubbataha grounding

The US Navy apologized on Sunday, January 20, for the grounding of one of its ships inside the protected area of Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in the Sulu Sea. "As a protector of the sea and a sailor myself, I greatly regret any damage this incident has caused to the Tubbataha Reef," said US Pacific Fleet commander Vice Admiral Scott Swift said in a statement.

Scott added that the US Navy acknowledges the "significance" of Tubbataha and its importance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site."Its protection is vital, and we take seriously our obligations to protect and preserve the maritime environment," the American commander said.

The US Navy confirmed that the situation of the USS Guardian has not changed: the minesweeper is still stuck on the reef -- now with no crew members on board -- and no traces of an oil spill in the area have been detected. Recovery efforts will start once the sea conditions improve and evacuated crew members can go back to the vessel.

US admiral to take over recovery operation

Swift announced that Rear Admiral Thomas Carney, Logistics Group commander for the Western Pacific, will travel on Monday, January 21, to the Philippines to take over as officer in charge of the ongoing operation to extricate the ship from the reef. Carney will sail to the Sulu Sea on board the USS Mustin destroyer along side several US Navy support vessels to oversee the efforts to pull out the USS Guardian "preventing any further environmental damage to the reef and surrounding marine environment."

Once the USS Guardian is safely recovered, the statement said, the US government "will continue to work with the [government of the] Republic of Philippines to assess the extent of the damage to the reef and the surrounding marine environment caused by the grounding. "The Republic of the Philippines government was promptly informed of the incident and is being updated regularly by US officials," the US Navy added.....

http://www.rappler.com/nation/20070-us-navy-apologizes-for-tubbataha-grounding