US Pays Philippines For Damage to Protected Reef
Photo credit: BBC News
The United States has paid the Philippines $1.97 million, or 87 million pesos, to compensate for damages to a protected reef.
Photo credit: BBC News
The Philippine foreign ministry says the US paid every dime they requested to restore and protect the Tubbataha Reef, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The reef – including 2,345 square miles of coral – was damaged by the USS Guardian minesweeper in January 2013.
Photo credit: BBC News
The US dismantled the grounded ship to prevent any more damage to the reef, and then removed four officers, and apologized.
A US Navy investigation of the incident called it “wholly preventable,” which resulted from poor planning and errors.
Photo credit: BBC News
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