The Sunken Ship has a toxic chemical on board that needs to be removed

The salvage operation to remove toxic cargo from the hold of the M/V Princess of the Stars, which sank in the Visayas more than three months ago, has started despite rough seas caused by a typhoon.Vice-Admiral Wilfredo D. Tamayo, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant, said the salvage firm’s divers engaged in the survey on Wednesday, despite the rough seas caused by exiting typhoon Nina (international codename: Hagupit).Titan Salvage and its local partner Harbor Star, which were contracted by Sulpicio Lines, Inc., the owner of the passenger vessel, started the dives to survey the location of the cargo of environmentally hazardous chemicals."The movement of the barge used by the salvor was not affected because it is large enough to stand the big waves," Mr. Tamayo said in a phone interview with BusinessWorld.According to Mr. Tamayo, the survey dives will last for a few days and are expected to be finished next week. At that point, the salvage operators will present their plan on how best to remove the cargo to Task Force M/V Princess of the Stars and the PCG. Retrieval operations should have started in August, but technical glitches forced the salvor to defer operations.The salvor has one month to finish the retrieval of the cargo based on its contract with Sulpicio Lines.M/V Princess of the Stars capsized off Sibuyan island in Romblon province on June 21 after being battered by huge waves spawned by typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen).The 22,800-ton interisland vessel was on a 22-hour trip to Cebu from Manila. People from the neighboring communities are very much affected by this incident because they fear that one day their catch fish will be be the one to put them in danger because of hazardous chemicals that was on board MV Princess of the stars.