Where can you find companies or organizations that specialize in cleaning up ocean oil spills?

Question

Help! There's a major oil spill in my country (the Philippines -- off the coast of Guimaras Island), and it's ruining the environment and everybody's lives. Imagine Third-World coastal homes covered in oil, poor fishermen struggling to catch whatever food is left, dead baby sea turtles on the beach...and it can get even worse. The oil spill is spreading. The oil tanker that spilled it is at the bottom of the sea, 3,000 feet below, still bearing more sealed barrels of oil that need to be retrieved (or else these could burst in the future). Is there any generous company or organization out there that can help clean the mess, AND lift that oil tanker out from the bottom of the sea --- on a Third World government budget?

Answer 1

It appears from this news story ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4795649.stm ) that the Philippines government is initially asking Japan and Indonesia for help. Certainly equipment in these countries would most easily reached the affected area quickly. I imagine that news of this disaster has reached worldwide to oil spill control organisations and some offers of help will ensue. I wonder who owned and operated this vessel as the overriding principle is that once the bills start coming in the polluter pays (of course the operator of the vessel may not have the resources or insurance for this). I guess a risk assessment is likely for the tanker 3,000 ft down - my feeling like the previous answerer is that they may not be a problem at that depth.

More found at http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/08/18/2003323664

Answer 2

3,000 feet down is safer than recovery ( this oil will not come to the surface , at least the crude won't and the lighter oils tend to evaporate ) unless you bottom fish ( and you don't at 3000') then the damage is over for all practical purposes ( except the slick on the surface that will come and go with the tides for some time )