Article Summary:

In less than a week’s time, two significant tanker-based oil spills have been reported to authorities. The first news came Friday after a sinking in the Philippines, and on Monday, Japan’s media stated that the tanker Bright Artemis had spilled oil after a collision with another vessel.

A Japanese tanker spilled about 1.4 million gallons of crude oil in the eastern Indian Ocean following a collision with a cargo ship, the tanker’s operator said Tuesday. Japan’s Kyodo news service said the spill — which would be about 4,500 tons — may have been the largest ever involving a Japanese tanker.

In a separate oil spill, the Philippines said that a tanker had sunk in rough seas Friday off the coast of Guimaras Island, about 312 miles southeast of Manila. About 528,000 gallons of industrial fuel was leaking from the accident, officials said.

A central Philippine island province declared a “state of calamity” following what authorities called the country’s worst spill.

It is hoped that the nations affected move swiftly to contain the respective spills and attempt to minimize the damage to the environment.