ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE

PHILIPPINES - TYPHOON YOLANDA / HAIYAN UNDAC Environmental Assessment

Tacloban and surroundings 11-24 November 2013

December 2013

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Published in Switzerland, 2013 by the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit Copyright © 2013 Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or not-for-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement is made of the source. Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland Tel. +41 (0) 22 917 1478 ochaunep@un.org http://www.unocha.org/unep Expert: Dennis Bruhn, United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team member, environment expert Report Editor: Florentina Debling, Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit Cover photo: Dennis Bruhn, UNDAC All photos in this report are taken by Dennis Bruhn, UNDAC unless stated otherwise.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents...............................................................................................................3

Executive summary ............................................................................................................4

List of acronyms and glossary of terms ...............................................................................6

1. Background and Context ................................................................................................6

1.1 Objectives and scope of the mission ....................................................................... 8

1.2 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 8

2. Environmental Emergency Assessment and Recommendations ......................................9

2.1 Overview of activities of the UNDAC environment expert ..................................... 9

2.2 Zones at risk from geo-hazards ............................................................................. 11

2.3 Water abstraction with hand pumps ..................................................................... 12

2.4 Industrial Installations ............................................................................................ 13

2.5 Tacloban municipal dumpsite ................................................................................ 18

3. Potential medium- to long-term environmental issues ................................................. 19

4. Annexes ....................................................................................................................... 22

Annex 1 Map of potentially hazardous sites around Tacloban ...................................... 23

Annex 2 Satellite imagery analysis of damage to Tacloban oil depots (UNOSAT) ........... 24

The Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit (JEU) assists Member States in preparing for and responding to environmental emergencies by coordinating international efforts and mobilizing partners to aid affected countries requesting assistance. By pairing the environmental expertise of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the humanitarian response network coordinated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the JEU ensures an integrated approach in responding to environmental emergencies. The Environmental Emergencies Centre (EEC) (www.eecentre.org) is an online tool designed to build the capacity of national responders to environmental emergencies developed by the JEU.

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Executive summary

Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan hit the Philippines on 8 November 2013 with maximum sustained winds of 235 km/h and gusts of 275 km/h. It killed more than 6,000 people, displaced over 4.1 million people and affected over 14.1 million people. The typhoon destroyed and damaged homes, schools, health centres and other infrastructure. An UNDAC team had already been pre-deployed before the typhoon hit and more UNDAC members were deployed immediately after the typhoon struck to assist the Government of the Philippines in coordinating the relief efforts. An UNDAC environment expert deployed as part of the UNDAC team in order to support the authorities in assessing acute environmental risks caused by the typhoon with the potential to cause immediate harm to human lives, health, and the environment. Together with the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the expert assessed the most critical industrial installations in and around Tacloban1, where the storm surge had caused severe damage. Based on meetings with DENR in Manila prior to field visit, Tacloban was identified as the area having the biggest concentration of industrial sites that was likely to have been affected by the typhoon. The expert also supported the authorities in the assessment of safe relocation sites for affected people who were sheltering in areas at high risk from geo-hazards such as landslides and flooding in and around Tacloban. The aerial assessment of potential sites for resettlement around Tacloban identified relocation sites with less geo-hazard risk than current shelter sites. Despite severe damage to the buildings on site and the vicinity, the gas and oil storage tanks and technical installations at the industrial sites assessed seemed to be fairly unaffected by the typhoon and the storm surge. Some contaminants are leaking into the external environment, but local residents in Tacloban City were well aware that the water from the hand pumps is not drinkable and it was being used for washing and personal hygiene. The use of water from hand pumps for sanitary use without further treatment poses a higher risk to human health. Once reports emerged that an oil spill caused by a power barge that ran aground due to the typhoon, the UNDAC environment expert travelled to the site in Estancia, Iloilo Province, Western Visayas to assess the situation. A separate joint UNEP/OCHA/WHO assessment report was issued on the conclusions and recommendations from this initial assessment2. A request for technical assistance to EMB in Iloilo province was received by the United Nations on 22 November and an oil spill clean-up expert was deployed from 27 November until 23 December. A separate report on the salvage and clean-up operations, shoreline assessments and recommendations during the time of this deployment is available. Any temporary shelter planning must take into account existing geo-hazards maps of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Philippines and should be done in close cooperation with them. A review and updating of these maps following the typhoon is highly recommended. Immediate water quality analysis programmes should be started. Water authorities should conduct regular monitoring, mapping and registration of hand pumps in and around Tacloban and provide regular information to the population. Damaged tanks should be emptied immediately and nearby populations relocated to temporary shelters. The plant’s contingency plans need reviewing to include recommendations for typhoons and flooding. Both oil storage facilities should not be operating until a certified pressure test of the piping system is performed. The low standards at the dumpsite near Tacloban need to be addressed immediately, as it poses a direct and long-term health risk to the people living downstream of the site. The destruction of crops, agricultural land,

1 The assessment was based on the Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT) methodology.

2 OCHA, UNEP, WHO: Joint Assessment Report, 30 November 2013, Oil Spill in Estancia, Iloilo Province, Western Visayas, Philippines

resulting from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) of 8 November 2013.

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fisheries, coconut trees and vegetation has severely impacted recovery of livelihoods in the affected areas and environmental factors such as mangrove cover need to be taken into account in the rehabilitation strategies. Due to the storm surge, areas along the coast and low-lying areas are flooded with salty seawater, which can impact people and the environment by infiltrating into groundwater and drinking water and reducing soil fertility of agricultural land. There is an increased risk of landslides in areas exposed to loss of vegetation and forest due to storm. Massive quantities of debris were generated, which need to be managed safely and the reuse of recyclable material (such as coconut timber of fallen trees) for shelter purposes is a priority This report notes the findings and recommendations of the site assessments for relevant authorities and gives an outlook on emerging environmental issues for the response and recovery operations.

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List of acronyms and glossary of terms

DENR

DSWD

Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines

Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines

ECCP

ECHO

European Commission Civil Protection Mechanism

European Community Humanitarian Aid Office

EU European Union

EMB

FEAT

HIT

Environmental Management Bureau, Philippines

Flash Environmental Assessment Tool

Hazard Identification Tool

GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

JEU

MGB

MSB

NAPOCOR

Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit

Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Philippines (under DENR)

Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency

National Power Corporation, Philippines

NDRRMC

OCHA

UN

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Philippines

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

United Nations

UNDAC United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNITAR

UNOSAT

WHO

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNITAR’s Operational Satellite Applications Programme

World Health Organization

An environmental emergency is defined as a sudden onset disaster or accident resulting from natural, technological or human-induced factors, or a combination of these, that cause or threaten to cause severe environmental damage as well as harm to human health and/or livelihoods.

UNEP/GC.22/INF/5, 13 November 2002

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Humanitarian snapshot of the Philippines showing the impact statistics and the route taken by typhoon Haiyan (as of 23 December 2013), Credit: UN OCHA

1. Background and Context

Typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as Haiyan) made first landfall in the early morning of 8 November in Guiuan, Eastern Samar province, with maximum sustained winds of 235 km/h and gusts of 275 km/h. Yolanda made subsequent landfalls in Tolosa (south of Tacloban City), Leyte province; Daanbantayan and Bantayan Island, Cebu province; Conception, Iloilo province; and Busuanga, Palawan province. Experts estimate the storm was among the strongest ever to make landfall. It left a wide path of destruction and debris in its wake. On 9 November, the Government accepted the UN offer of international assistance. A global appeal for $301 million was launched on 12 November, with food and shelter requirements the top priorities. Access to people in need was initially severely limited due to damaged roads, fallen trees and debris. All main roads were passable as of 15 November, but debris continues to hamper access to remote areas. As of 13 December, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 14.1 million affected people, 4.1 million people displaced, 1.1 million damaged houses, 6,109 reported deaths and 1,779 people still missing as result of the typhoon.

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1.1 Objectives and scope of the mission

An UNDAC team had already pre-deployed before the typhoon hit and three more UNDAC teams were deployed after the typhoon struck to assist the Government of the Philippines in coordinating the relief efforts. As part of standard measures on the part of the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, a desk study of major industries in the Philippines had been undertaken on 5 November and was shared via the OCHA Office in the Philippines and the Virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (Virtual OSOCC)3 with emergency responders (Annex 4 – Hazard Identification Tool). The objective of the Hazard Identification Tool (HIT) is to alert the UN Country Team and emergency responders to potential secondary risks after a natural disaster posed by large infrastructure and industrial facilities containing hazardous materials located in the affected area. An UNDAC environment expert from Denmark deployed as part of the UNDAC team in order to support the authorities, namely the DENR and EMB, in identifying and assessing acute environmental risks caused by the typhoon with the potential to cause immediate harm to human lives, health, and the environment. In response to a request from EMB of Region 6, a senior marine oil spill expert from France was deployed through the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit by the European Commission’s Civil Protection Mechanism. This report notes the findings and recommendations of the assessments undertaken by the UNDAC environment expert in and around Tacloban and gives an outlook on emerging environmental issues for the response and recovery operations.

1.2 Methodology

The expert conducted an environmental assessment of the area around Tacloban based on several site visits and an aerial assessment between 11 and 24 November. For the identification of potential hazards from damaged industrial facilities in the Tacloban area, the expert made use of the Hazard Identification Tool (HIT) prepared by the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit in preparation of the landfall of typhoon Haiyan. The expert also used the GIZ report “Needs Assessment Study on Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness in Region VIII, Philippines, August 2010”, which had been shared through the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit. The Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT)4 was used to identify and prioritise potential acute risks from damaged industrial infrastructure referenced in the HIT, and in the GIZ report5. The FEAT was also used to identify medium- to long-term environmental issues, given that many of these may be evident, and should be identified, at the earliest stages following a disaster or crisis.

The FEAT methodology was shared with DENR and EMB with special focus on the ‘Likely Scenarios’ Table.

3http://vosocc.unocha.org

4https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/FEAT_Version_1.1.pdf

5Mark Hailwood and Jean C. Borromeo for GIZ: Needs Assessment Study on Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness in

Region VIII, Philippines, 19 August 2010.

Structure of the Hazard Identification Tool (HIT)

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The “Likely Scenarios table” focuses on the highest impact and most likely scenarios by allowing the user to combine the information from the assessment on the hazard with likely pathways and receptors and resulting impact to be expected. In this way, the user can determine whether an identified potential impact creates a high-risk scenario.

The type, magnitude and relevance of impact (I) is determined by: type of hazard (H), presence of exposure (receptors and pathways) (Exp) and quantity (Q):

I = H * Exp * Q

All 3 factors need to be present for the impact to be relevant. If one factor is absent, there will be no impact.

2. Environmental Emergency Assessment and Recommendations

2.1 Overview of activities of the UNDAC environment expert

Upon arrival in the Philippines, the UNDAC environment expert had meetings with the DENR, and the EMB in Manila, including with:

Secretary R. Paje of DENR

Director Atty. Juan Miguel Cuna of EMB

Ms. Jean Borromeo, Supervising Environmental Management Specialist, Manila Bay Coordinating Office/Office of the Undersecretary for Field Operations, DENR

During the initial meetings with representatives from DENR and EMB the main concern with respect to the environment was the potential damage to industrial facilities due to typhoon Haiyan in and around Tacloban, as well as the identification of suitable areas for relocation for affected people living in high risk zones for geo-hazards in Tacloban. From 15 to 19 November, the environment expert joined MGB and EMB in an aerial assessment by helicopter, as well as in several site visits of potentially damaged industrial facilities. The aim of the aerial

The Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT), ‘Likely Scenarios’ Table

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assessment was to identify potential sites suitable for resettlement around Tacloban. The joint assessment was initiated by Secretary R. Paje of DENR. Apart from the assessment of zones at risk from geo-hazards and potential hazards from industrial facilities in the Tacloban area, the environment expert assessed the access to water from hand pumps and the Tacloban municipal landfill. The findings of the above mentioned assessments are reflected in this report. Oil spill from power barge in Estancia, Iloilo Province, Western Visayas From 21 to 23 November, the UNDAC environment expert assessed the oil spill caused by a damaged power barge in Estancia, Iloilo Province, Western Visayas. A separate joint assessment report with OCHA, UNEP, and WHO was published.6 A significant spill of heavy oil (bunker C type) occurred when Power Barge No. 103 ran aground at the shores of Estancia during the height of typhoon Haiyan. Between 21 and 23 November, environment experts from EMB visited the site of the oil spill together with a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) environment expert, a public health expert from WHO, and a Humanitarian Affairs Officer from the OCHA office in Roxas to jointly undertake a preliminary assessment of the threats the spill poses to human health, livelihoods and the environment. Estimates by the management of the power barge amounted to around 800,000 litres of oil having leaked. As the ruptured tanks continued to leak and up to 600,000 litres of oil remained in the tanks, the scope of the spill was increasing steadily. Urgent action was required to pump out the remaining oil or seal the holes in the tanks. Most of the spilled oil had washed ashore, contaminating the coast and mangroves up to 10 kilometres downstream. The containment booms deployed were not sufficient to effectively contain all of the free phase oil in the water. The free phase oil had been washed ashore with southeastern winds. A change of wind direction or a tropical depression could have further complicated the containment of the free phase oil. A faster, mechanical clean-up process with oil skimmers was urgently required. An urgent need for recovery and clean up equipment and expert advice was identified.

Temporary workers who had been hired for the clean-up operations continued to stay close to the site of the accident. The workers were exposed to significant occupational health risks at the time due to the unsafe and ineffective practice of manual recovery of free phase oil in open water and the insufficient and inappropriate provision of personal protective equipment. Immediate change in the management of the clean-up operation was required in order to protect the workers from unacceptable health risks. The contamination of the coast was putting the resident population at risk from accidental fires and other physical injuries. The chemical risk to the affected population was limited as long as direct

contact with contaminated debris was avoided. The physical risk to the people sheltering in the immediate vicinity of the oil spill had been mitigated with the evacuation of most of the population to a temporary

6 OCHA, UNEP, WHO: Joint Assessment Report, 30 November 2013, Oil Spill in Estancia, Iloilo Province, Western Visayas, Philippines

resulting from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) of 8 November 2013.

Impacts of the oil spill in Estancia town, Iloilo province, Philippines contaminated the coast putting the resident population at risk. Photo: 21 November 2013, Corporal Ariane Montambeault

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evacuation centre. With every day the clean-up process was delayed, the affected population did not get the opportunity to recover and continued to depend on humanitarian relief. The oil spill is a threat to the livelihoods of the population who depend mainly on fishing and tourism, and having been heavily affected by the typhoon. This increases the vulnerability of the population who has been severely affected by the typhoon with many houses severely damaged and their livelihoods threatened. The sea, shore, rivers and mangroves south of Estancia had been affected by the oil spill. Appropriate mitigation measures were urgently required in order to stop the further spilling of the oil and therewith limit the effects on human health, livelihoods, and the ecosystem. On 23 November, the authorities decided to evacuate residents of the immediate vicinity of the oil spill due to concerns for their health and safety. The evacuation centre in Estancia with evacuees from the oil spill was then the largest in the Western Visayas region (492 families) - while the other 17 evacuation centres in the Western Visayas hosted a total of 640 families. A request for technical assistance to EMB in Iloilo was received by the United Nations on 22 November and an oil spill clean-up expert was deployed on 27 November until 23 December.

2.2 Zones at risk from geo-hazards7

The Geo-hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

The Geo-hazard Mapping and Assessment Program is an on-going priority program of DENR (prior to the typhoon), which is being implemented by MGB. Its main objective is to identify areas susceptible or vulnerable to various geo-hazards. The program also seeks to provide information to various stakeholders in order to reduce the risk from these hazards. The program comprises three major activities, namely, rapid assessment survey to generate geo-hazard maps that will indicate which areas are prone to natural hazards such as landslides, flooding and ground subsidence; printing and reproduction of maps, manuals and information

materials for public dissemination; seminars and workshops for local government officials and public school teachers to increase awareness and preparedness for various natural hazards, as well as knowledge on the proper use of geo-hazard maps.

7 Geological process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss

of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage. Geological hazards include internal earth processes, such as earthquakes, volcanic activity and emissions, and related geophysical processes such as mass movements, landslides, rockslides, surface collapses, and debris or mud flows […], UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) terminology, August 2007

Highly affected area along the shoreline in Tacloban

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Washing and personal hygiene at a hand pump in Tacloban City

Aerial assessment of potential sites for resettlement around Tacloban

On 15 November 2013, UNDAC joined MGB, for an aerial assessment by helicopter of potential sites for resettlement of affected people living in areas at high risk from geo-hazards (landslides) and flooding in and around Tacloban. The selection of potential locations for resettlement was based on the geo-hazards maps on landslide and flood susceptibility of Tacloban by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, DENR. Annex 2 shows the geo-hazards map for the Tacloban area with respect to landslide. The current geo-hazards maps on flooding are based on the assumption of an increase in the water level to 2 m above mean sea-level. In many locations in and around Tacloban the storm surge wave was reported to have reached 5 to 7 meters in height. This resulted in a much larger area affected than was to be expected from the existing geo-hazard maps of MGB. Conclusions The assessment showed that the areas most affected by the storm surge and flooding from typhoon Haiyan largely correspond to the areas indicated as being at high risk from geo-hazards in the existing maps of MGB. It is also evident that due to the size of the storm surge wave the devastating destruction caused by the surge and flooding greatly exceeded the areas indicated as being at flood risk. During the assessment, potential relocation sites were identified with less risk to geo-hazards than current shelter sites. This assessment was based on the existing geo-hazard maps. Recommendations

Any temporary shelter planning must take into account the geo-hazards mapping prepared by MGB.

The planning and implementation of resettlements and reconstruction of the affected areas in Tacloban should be done in close cooperation with MGB in order to reduce future risks for the population arising from flooding and landslides.

The existing geo-hazards maps should be reviewed and updated in view of the experience with typhoon Haiyan. This mapping should also take into account the exclusion zones for construction close to the sea that are being put in place.

2.3 Water abstraction with hand pumps

Tacloban city’s drinking water supply is mainly based on surface water collected in the mountains. According to information given by representatives from DENR, the water feeds into a supply line connected to a treatment plant with chlorination. The treatment plant has been restored after the storm and as of 19 November approximately 80 per cent of Tacloban received treated potable water. Several locations with hand pumps with intense activity were observed. Local residents indicated that they were well aware that the water from the hand pumps was not for drinking and that they were exclusively using the water for washing clothes and bathing. The UNDAC environment expert observed that small children were bathed with this water and people brushed their teeth. It is not known to what extend – if any, the water quality is monitored.

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Conclusions The use of water from hand pumps without further treatment poses a higher risk to human health than the use of treated potable water as the water is normally abstracted from the shallow aquifer, which may have been subject to contamination due to typhoon Haiyan. In the present situation the shallow aquifer is vulnerable to increased contamination due to the possible washing-out of contaminants from the large amount of disaster waste, which may contain hazardous waste and toxic material. In addition waterborne diseases can spread to the shallow aquifer. Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that most commonly are transmitted in contaminated fresh water. Infection commonly results during bathing, washing, drinking, in the preparation of food, or the consumption of food thus infected. Various forms of waterborne diarrheal disease probably are the most prominent examples, and affect especially children. Recommendations

A water quality analysis programme should be implemented immediately and water authorities should conduct continuous monitoring on a regular basis. In case of water degradation, the programme and monitoring should be intensified.

Based on monitoring results of water quality, inform population of risks associated with the use of water from hand pumps.

All active hand pumps should be mapped and registered by the water authorities in Tacloban to identify each hand pump to adequately conduct the water monitoring.

2.4 Industrial Installations

From 17 to 19 November, the UNDAC environment expert participated in a joint assessment of selected industrial facilities in and around Tacloban together with DENR. This included 2 sites in Tanauan, located app 10 km south of Tacloban and the Tacloban municipal dumpsite located close to New Kawayan. The selection of sites for assessment was based on the HIT published by the JEU, the study for the GIZ of 2010, as well as on the initial meetings with the DENR, and EMB in Manila. Based on this information a Flash Environmental Assessment based on the FEAT methodology was undertaken. In general, Tacloban is home to only a few and relatively small industries. The goal of the assessment was to identify any potential direct or indirect impact to human health and/or the environment from potential damage to these industrial facilities. The ‘Likely Scenarios’ Table of the FEAT was used to prioritise the sites to be assessed given the potential impact a damage to these industrial facilities could cause to human health and the environment. The following industrial facilities in Tanauan were assessed:

Pepsi Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (liquid ammonia storage tanks) Hazard: Gas, toxic – medium toxic/ Gas, toxic – high toxic (GT3/GTe3)

New Leyte Edible Oil Manufacturing Corporation (Oil storage tanks) Hazard: Liquid, toxic – high toxic/Explosive/Liquid, evaporating – medium toxic gas/Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (LTe3/E/L-GT2/CMR1)

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Pepsi Cola Products Philippines, Inc., Tanauan (11° 6' 7.50"N - 125° 1' 12.06"Ø) The plant is located in the outskirts of Tanauan between the highway and the sea. The facility was partly damaged by the typhoon and the storm surge wave which was reportedly around 3 to 4 meter high at this location. The main concern with respect to a possible direct or indirect impact to human health and the environment were the liquid ammonia storage tanks used for the refrigeration plant. According to information received by a staff member at the site, the ammonia tank was not damaged. However, the team was not given access to the site as this would have required permission by the management of the plant who was not present. Conclusions Based on the information given to the assessment team and what could be seen of the damage caused by the typhoon, the potential risk for a direct or secondary impact on human health and the external environment is estimated to be low. No further assessment is required.

Location of sites assessed in Tanauan (Based on Google Earth)

Pepsi Cola Products Philippines, Inc.

New Leyte Edible Oil Manufacturing Corporation

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The New Leyte Edible Oil Manufacturing Corporation (11° 6'20.50"N - 125° 1'18.50"Ø) The New Leyte Edible Oil Manufacturing Corporation facility is located at the sea shore in Tanauan. It produces coconut oil and contains five large storage tanks (>100,000 l) for storage of the final product. In addition it has three 10,000 litre tanks for diesel (2) and bunker oil (1) being used for the boiler and operation of trucks. The facility was severely damaged by the typhoon and especially the storm surge. Two of the coconut oil tanks were severely damaged but the oil was contained. One storage tank was lifted out of it foundation and turned on its side. According to the site manager the tank was almost empty when the storm surge hit the facility.

No damage to the diesel and bunker oil tanks was reported or observed. At the day of the assessment, the tanks were empty due to looting. Conclusions Despite severe damage to the plant, the damaged coconut storage tanks pose no immediate risk to the environment should they leak. However, should the tanks burst they could pose a risk to people who has taken shelter close to the storage tanks. Recommendations

For safety reasons the damaged tanks should be emptied as soon as possible.

The people living in temporary shelters close to the damaged tanks should be relocated to a safe site further away from the tanks.

The plant’s contingency plan should be reassessed in order to secure the storage tanks in case of typhoons and flooding. One of the solutions could be to ensure no tanks are empty during typhoon/flooding warnings. This will reduce the risk that the tanks are lifted off their foundations due to buoyancy.

In case of low stock levels at the time of typhoon/flooding warnings, the storage tanks should be secured with by steel cables.

10,000l storage tanks for diesel and bunker oil at New Leyte Edible Oil Manufacturing Corporation

One storage tank was lifted out of it foundation and turned on its side by the storm surge

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Location of Oil Storage sites assessed in Tacloban (map is based on Google Earth)

The following industrial facilities in Tacloban were assessed:

Petron Oil Storage

Shell Oil Storage Hazard: Liquid, toxic – high toxic/Explosive/Liquid, evaporating – medium toxic gas/Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (LTe3/E/L-GT2/CMR1)

On 15 November, UNOSAT performed an aerial survey of the oil depots in Tacloban based on satellite imagery before and after typhoon Haiyan (see Annex 3). The UNOSAT analysis on satellite imagery as of 11 November showed that many structures and docks were completely destroyed and the trees in the area had also vanished due to the storm surge. The primary depot buildings and tanks, however, seemed to be largely intact. Petron Oil Storage, Tacloban The initial aerial survey on 15 November 2013, of the oil storage facilities located on the peninsular north-west of Tacloban showed no major damage to the oil storage and gas tanks. An on-site assessment was recommended to take place as soon as possible and was undertaken on 18 November. The oil storage facilities at Petron Tacloban Depot experienced only minor damage to small pipelines and electrical installations. According to the plant manager empty tanks had been secured with steel cables and the system including pumps was closed down prior to the landfall of typhoon Haiyan as a preparedness measure. It was reported that no oil leak to the environment had occurred. At the time of the assessment the site had been cleared from debris and pressure test of the piping system was initiated. The status of the pressure test was not clear. The depot had been partly operating since Monday 11 November and was expected to be fully operational within days. The main constraint to full operability at the time of the assessment was the clearing of the roads leading to the oil depot.

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Petron Oil Storage, Tacloban

Petron Oil Storage, Tacloban

Conclusions Despite severe damage to the buildings on the site of the oil depot and in the surrounding area, the storage tanks and technical installations seem to be fairly unaffected by the typhoon and the storm surge and no release of oil to the external environment were reported or observed. The Company seems to have a well contingency plan in place, including securing the storage tanks with steel cables and closing down the system prior to a typhoon. Recommendation

In order to ensure that the piping system has not been affected and to avoid any oil leaks the oil storage facility should not be operating until a certified pressure test of the piping system including connections and valves has been performed.

Shell Oil Storage, Tacloban The oil storage facilities experienced relatively minor damage. Mainly administration buildings were damaged. No storage tanks were damaged. The main damage to the installations was related to small pipelines and electrical installations. According to the site manager no oil had leaked. Before the facility will resume operations, the piping system will be checked manually and by pressure tests by an external company.

Shell Oil Storage, Tacloban

Shell Oil Storage, Tacloban

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The Tacloban Municipal dumpsite is operated at very low standards

Conclusions Despite severe damage to the buildings on site and the surrounding area, the storage tanks and technical installations seems to be fairly unaffected by the typhoon and the storm surge. No release of oil to the external environment was reported or observed. Recommendation

The oil storage facility should not be operating until a certified pressure test of the piping system including connections and valves has been performed.

2.5 Tacloban municipal dumpsite

The Tacloban Municipal dumpsite is located close to New Kawayan approximately 14 km north of Tacloban City (N 11o 19’ 35’’, E 124o 57’ 18’’) along the highway to Babatngon. The dumpsite receives municipal waste from Tacloban city. According to DENR the dumpsite will not be used for disaster waste generated by the typhoon. A separate dumpsite location for receiving disaster waste has been selected by the city authorities of Tacloban. The joint assessment team observed no disaster waste on the Tacloban municipal dumpsite. The dumpsite is located on a low-angle slope in a rural area, it is not fenced and has free access for unauthorised people. The dumpsite is installed without bottom lining and coverage of the waste with soil on a daily basis does not seem to take place. No system to collect percolate is installed and the percolate drains directly to an open system draining to the creek system downstream. No collection of recyclable waste or indication of such was observed to take place at the dumpsite. This could indicate that the recycling system is not well developed in the area.

Conclusions The existing dumpsite is being operated and managed at low standards. The lack of a collection system for percolate is posing a risk of contaminating the surface water in streams which is potentially being used for washing and cleaning in households without access to public water supply. The use of the water from the stream as drinking water cannot be excluded. The lack of coverage of the waste with a layer of soil will increase the spreading of waste by wind and increase the washing-out of contaminants due to infiltration of rainwater. The observation of no collection of recyclable waste is supported by the absence of open fires on the dumpsite as open fires are very often an indication of the intentional extraction copper from cables and wires. Recommendation

It is strongly recommend to address the situation at the dumpsite as in its present state it poses a direct and long-term health risk to the people living downstream of the site.

Percolate drains directly to an open system

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3. Potential medium- to long-term environmental issues

The destruction of crops, agricultural land, fisheries, coconut trees and vegetation is severely impacting livelihoods in the affected areas and environmental factors such as mangrove cover need to be taken into account in the rehabilitation strategies. The storm surge caused large areas along the coast and low-lying areas to be flooded with salty seawater, which can directly and indirectly impact the environment through:

Infiltration of saltwater into shallow open wells used for drinking water and irrigation in rural areas making the wells unsuitable for irrigation and especially drinking water.

Flooding of agricultural land with salt water can result in damage and destruction of crops increasing the pressure on the local food situation and loss of income.

Flooding of agricultural land with salt water can result can reduce soil fertility in a period of time which will increase the pressure on the local food situation and loss of income

The impact of water wells and agricultural land with salt water can be fully reversed as the content of salt will be reduced with time due to infiltration of precipitation; the time needed to fully reverse however will depend on the amount of precipitation and the composition of the soil in the respective location. The rate of reduction will depend of the amount of precipitation and composition of the soil. The heavy rain associated with the passage of the typhoon can increase the risk of landslide especially in areas with high to medium susceptibility defined by MGB due to an increase in erosion and infiltration of rainwater into the soil along the slopes. Further increase in the risk can be expected in areas exposed to loss of vegetation and forest due to storm. In order to reduce the increased risk of landslide especially in and close to populated areas it is recommended that MGB perform additional detailed mapping of landslide risk. In order to mitigate the risk of landslides and of severe erosion vegetation recovery plans should be implemented and geo-hazards need to be taken into account in the rehabilitation and reconstruction strategies. Other secondary environmental impacts such as the oil spill in Estancia will also need to be managed with clean-up actions and a safe disposal of hazardous waste in order to enable a sustainable recovery. Massive quantities of debris were generated, which need to be managed safely and the reuse of recyclable material (such as coconut timber of fallen trees) for shelter purposes is a priority. The Livelihoods and Early Recovery cluster is deploying waste management experts to support the relief and recovery operations. In November 2013, a Disaster Waste Management expert was deployed through the JEU by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) to support the cluster in training local authorities in safe waste management, and in assessing the needs for support in this area. A short guide to disaster waste management (based on pictograms) was made available to emergency responders via the coordination hubs, the livelihoods and early recovery cluster and the operations website to support the clean-up operations in English8, Tagalog 9and Cebuano10. Following the emergency deployments of an environmental expert embedded in the UNDAC team and of a Disaster Waste Management expert, as well as of an oil spill expert, a specialised Environmental Field Adviser (EFA) deployed in January 2014 to OCHA Philippines for six months provided by the Swedish Civil

8 https://philippines.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/Emergency%20waste%20management%20guidelines_english.pdf 9 https://philippines.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/Emergency%20waste%20management%20guidelines_tagaloc.pdf 10 https://philippines.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/Emergency%20waste%20management%20guidelines_cebuano.pdf

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Contingencies Agency (MSB). In order to support the resilience of the population and in line with the 'do-no-harm' approach, the Environmental Field Adviser will provide practical advice on how to integrate environmental considerations into humanitarian action. The environmental impacts of disasters exacerbate vulnerability, and threaten lives and livelihoods. By promoting environmentally resilient humanitarian programming, the overall quality and effectiveness of humanitarian action will be enhanced.

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Bibliography OCHA, UNEP, WHO: Joint Assessment Report, 30 November 2013, Oil Spill in Estancia, Iloilo Province, Western Visayas, Philippines resulting from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) of 8 November 2013, https://philippines.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/Estancia%20Oil%20Spill%20Initial%20Assessment%20Report%20FINAL.pdf Mark Hailwood and Jean C. Borromeo for GIZ: Needs Assessment Study on Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness in Region VIII, Philippines, 19 August 2010. UNEP, OCHA: Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT), to identify acute environmental risks immediately following disasters, Version 1.1, August 2009, https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/FEAT_Version_1.1.pdf MSB, UNEP, OCHA: Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, Edition 2, 2013, http://www.eecentre.org/Modules/EECResources/UploadFile/Attachment/Disaster_Waste_Management_Guidelines_revised.pdf

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4. Annexes

Annex 1 Map of potentially hazardous sites around Tacloban (as of 13 November 2013) Annex 2 Satellite imagery analysis of damage to Tacloban oil depots (UNOSAT)

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Annex 1 Map of potentially hazardous sites around Tacloban (as of 13 November 2013)

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Annex 2 Satellite imagery analysis of damage to Tacloban oil depots (UNOSAT)

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