Oil Spill Blog

Oil Spills and Their Impact on Fisheries!

Fishery and aquaculture production, the most vital sources of food and livelihood, have witnessed a tremendous progress over the last few decades. Valued as high-revenue generators, fisheries have become the victims of depletion in recent times. Apart from threats like overfishing and massive destruction of wetlands, a new threat has popped out– marine oil spills. Believe it or not! The National Marine Fisheries Service has stated that 90 fish species have been found depleted off the shores of the U.S.

What impact do oil spills have on fisheries? Well, the consequences are more serious than we imagined. Though the oil spilt out of damaged pipelines, tankers, or offshore oil rigs may seem to be insubstantial, the problems encountered are really high. Marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters are severely affected by oil spills. Though these mammals survive the effects of oil spills, they don’t escape from their contaminated food supply.

When marine oil spills can take a toll on the big sea mammals, small fishes and other marine life are no exceptions. Not many are aware how severely the shrimp and oyster fisheries along the Louisiana coast were affected by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon offshore oil spill. Included in the affected list are fish eggs or larvae, which have been wiped away once for all. One best example quoting this problem is the Exxon Valdez oil spill that affected billions of salmon and herring eggs.

Though a lot of effort is put on the cleaning up of spilt oil, some traces of oil still lurk behind. The reason is that marine oil spills don’t leave the water at ease as they cling to every rock and grain of sand. The best solution to get rid of the oil completely is to make use of bioremediation agents.

Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 is one good choice for effective oil spill treatments. This eco-friendly oil stain remover has been subjected to rigorous testing, so it can be used on a large scale basis. So, let’s fight these marine oil spills and save our fisheries from extinction!

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Popularity: 3% [?]

Concrete Oil Spill Cleanup Made Easy!

With the increasing oil spill tragedies in the sea, there is so much talk about oil spills these days. Yet, most of us fail to notice the oil spills that occur at our homes every day. Do you often wonder why your driveway is turning grayish day by day? The reason might be pretty much evident. Check if your car is spilling too much oil.

Anyway, you car might not be the only source for concrete oil spills at your outdoors. Vehicles of your visitors or passer-by trucks can also spew oil in front of your gateway. These are situations you have no control over. However, you cannot sit idle after knowing that there’s a spill. So, here are some tips for you to cleanup those unsightly concrete oil spills.

It’s best to avoid wire scrubs to cleanup spilt oil from your concrete driveway. Besides leaving a lot of oil intact, these scrubs damage the concrete surface too. In addition, ground water safety is also at stake. If you want to safeguard your ground water, then do not, at any cost, seal the oil spilt area with fresh cement. This method causes a certain amount of oil seepage into the ground, and in the long run has a toll on the water table.

Do you use chemical oil dispersants to cleanup oil spills on your concrete driveway? Then, we suggest you better stop doing it. Chemicals especially muriatic acid and silane siloxane that are used in these cleaners erode the concrete surface leaving a permanent scar. Sometimes, people use kerosene to remove oil spills. Besides being very tricky to handle, kerosene also raises environmental concerns.

So, the best alternative to all these techniques is to go green. By doing this, you’ll not only be saving yourself, but the environment too. Try Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200, an eco-friendly oil spill cleaner, to cleanup oil spills. This green oil spill cleaner uses oil eating bacteria to clean up the spill. It can be used on concrete, asphalt, granite, and many other surfaces without compromising on environmental and personal safety.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Impact of Highway Oil Spills on Traffic!

Highway accidents due to oil spills are not uncommon. However, highway traffic hold ups due to oil spills is one thing we could have experienced, but not given a second thought. There need not necessarily be an accident to hold up the traffic, just a spill is enough.

Recently, a semi truck roll over was reported on Kings Highway, just north of Rampart Blvd overpass. Not only was the truck’s driver injured in the accident, even the traffic came to a standstill. It was reported that large oil drums in the truck spilled as many as 1000 gallons of oil into the dirt.

A similar, but more serious incident was reported on I-95 in Stratford, where a trailer tractor spilled 25 gallons of gasoline near Exit 34. Even though no accidents or injuries were reported, the oil spill delayed traffic on the right and middle lanes of the highway for more than an hour. Even the entire northbound traffic was also held up for about five minutes. The area was reopened for use only after a sand truck scattered sand all over the place. A fireman who was at the scene, termed the surface as dangerous and slippery.

In San Leandro, two lanes on the transition ramp from southbound Interstate Highway 880 to southbound Interstate Highway 238 were closed down due to a big-rig accident. Consequently, the oil tank was punctured leading to an oil spill in that area. No injuries were reported. The lanes remained closed as the clean-up crews removed the truck and started the clean-up operations. Just as in the case of above incidents, there was a heavy delay in traffic.

So, isn’t it pretty evident from the above cases, that whenever there are accidents involving oil spills, there should be an effective remedy to clear out the oil spill? Instead of using chemical cleaners or sand, it’s always a safer and effective option to use green spill cleaners like Oil Gone Easy S-200.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Cleanup Costs associated with Port Oil Spill Cleanup

Port oil spills create a huge havoc and affect the surrounding environment heavily. The cleanup of in-port oil spill incidents is not an easy task. There are many facets to an oil spill cleanup employed. Several factors, such as type of oil spilled, location of the spill, weather conditions, and the reach of the spill in sensitive areas determine the cleanup costs in ports.

The cleanup cost incurred is really high, especially when manual recovery is involved. The cleanup operations sometimes tend to render more environmental damage when compared to the situation where the oil would have been left to degrade at a natural rate. However, that cannot be the case all the time as public demands and aesthetic considerations require some action to be taken for cleanup.

Manual containment can be the most damaging of all the oil spill cleanup exercises. In cases, especially where oil reaches the shore, the situation worsens since the use of heavy equipment and human resources can cause the oil to seep further into the sand and pebbles. Also, there is a possibility of damage to the physical integrity of the beach and the sensitive shoreline flora and fauna.

The type of oil spilled also plays a major role in determining the cleanup cost. Usually oil with lighter density is easy to cleanup than heavy oils as it easily evaporates. However, emulsified lighter oils are usually viscous, resulting in amplified cost related to oil spill cleanup.

In most cases, use of a dispersant is enough to mitigate the problem and it is easy to use as well. But, dispersants tend to linger in the deep water causing after effects to marine life at an immeasurable rate. So, it’s always better to use bio-degradable oil spill cleaners like Oil Gone Easy S-200. No after effects, easy to use, reduced cleanup cost, and most important of all – it’s harmless on Mother Nature. There more, this product is available in convenient 5-gallon pails. Places like Port of Pensacola have tried this product, you should too!


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Popularity: 2% [?]

Dealing with Port and Harbor Stormwater Runoff!

Have you ever given a second thought to how disastrous stormwater runoff pollution can prove to be? If no, then you are also one among thousand others who do not take this issue seriously. Any activity in ports and harbors causing an eco hazard reflects badly on the ocean. For instance, when oil leaks out of large tanker vessels while loading or unloading, then there is every chance for the leaked oil to get into the ocean waters. The flora and fauna of the sea are most badly affected, not to mention the degradation of the water quality. Such ruining impacts on water quality and aquatic beings, damage the marine ecosystem as a whole.

You might think that the probability of port oil spills contaminating the sea is rather too low. It might be considered true to a certain extent, but what if there is a storm? Stormwater runoff carries all those toxic and oily wastes from ports and harbors and leads them directly into the sea.

Though we might not win if we fight against the force of nature, we certainly can prevent chemicals and oil from mixing with the runoff. Only ‘Best Management Practices’ to the ‘Maximum Extent Practicable’ at ports and harbors will help us deal with it!

Finding a solution to a problem is impossible without properly understanding the source of the problem. In this case, the source is nothing but pollutants in ports and harbors, and from where they surface. The pollutants here are antifoulants, oil spills, heavy metals, organics, and cleaning chemicals, and they come out from routine seaport activities like loading, unloading, and boat hull cleaning. Modifying these activities is way above practicality, so finding remedies to nullify these chemical pollutants will be a viable option. Having environmentally-friendly spill cleaners handy is always a safe choice.

Oil Gone Easy S-200, an eco-friendly oil and grease cleaner, is a great example. It enhances the growth of oil eating bacteria to degrade oil. By using this product in ports and harbors, we can rule out pollution issues dealing with oily and greasy wastes.

If essential steps are taken to use this green product in ports and harbors, then there is going to be a sharp decrease in oil spill contamination. However, when we talk about stormwater runoff pollution, stringent BMPs and regulatory practices are also obligatory.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Los Padres Oil Spill

Oil spills harming aquatic birds and animals have become rather too common – the oil spill into the tributary of Sespe Creek being the most recent one. This spill has caused waves of distress among environmentalists as the water body at issue is very close to a condor reserve in the Los Padres National Forest. However, there are no reports of wildlife injuries as of now. An area, not very far from this spilt area, has already been affected by a similar oil spill tragedy that occurred in 2007 for which a lawsuit has also been filed.

The Los Padres oil spill was a result of a pump failure at a ‘produced water’ storage facility located nearby. Produced water is nothing but a mixture of water and oil that is used in the drilling process. According to reports, about 630 gallons of crude oil and 25,700 gallons of ‘produced water’ leaked into the river. Toxic chemicals and crude oil in the ‘produced water’ have made their way through the river and are expected to have long term ill effects on the environment.

Officials were able to identify oil coated rocks and an oily sheen on the surface of the water after visiting the spill site. What made the matters still more worse was that oil absorbent materials were used to clean up the oil spill. It is the last thing that environmentalists would wish for.

The problem with oil absorbents is that even if they manage to sop up the oil from the river, getting rid of the oil in the materials is still a question. So, there has to be an effective technique to remove the oil from those absorbent pads. Dumping them could only worsen the situation. Despite all these problems, people continue to treat oil spills using oil absorbents, skimmers, and boomers during ocean oil spills. This situation badly needs to change and pave way for environmentally-friendly cleaning options!

Oil Gone Easy S-200 is an eco-friendly oil spill cleaner that uses micro organisms to eat up the spilt oil. This revolutionary oil spill cleaner has been recommended for the cleanup of the Gulf waters. So, why not for the Los Padres oil disaster?

Greener products like Oil Gone Easy S-200 should be relied upon to clean up everything right from minor home oil spills to serious oil spills in the oceans. This product is available in 5 gallon pails also.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Parking Lot Oil Spills - Potentially Dangerous!

While talking about oil spills, most of us chew on marine oil spills, home and garage oil spills, and every other thing but parking lot oil spills. Oil leaks in parking lots are equally dangerous and are one of the major causes for water pollution. Surprising isn’t it? What will surprise you even more is that these spills are also a cause for the heating up of urban areas. Knowing the dangers, you would want to know ways on how to deal with such spills. So, here are a few tips on how to cleanup parking lot oil spills in a greener way.

Another fact that needs a mention is that it’s not just those oil specks in the parking areas that are risky; the method in which they are cleaned up also have a certain amount of risk factor to it. Water washing or using detergents to remove oil from the parking lots will seem to be a good idea. The area even appears to be free of oil and dirt. However the fact is that this method is even worse than the oil spill itself. They only wash down oil spill, eventually contaminating the water bodies nearby. The same is the case when it rains. So, it’s better to get rid of parking lot oil spills regularly.

Wondering what could be the best way to treat oil spills? Using Oil Gone Easy S-200, an environmentally safe oil spill cleanup product is a great idea. No more water pollution or unsightly oil specks in the parking lot!

Apart from oil spills, parking lots also account for increased temperatures and extensive land usage in urban areas. Some public parking lots occupy almost two times the area of their buildings, which tells us how much land goes unused. Shared parking lots are far better as they minimize land usage. Everything right from construction costs, property costs, and cleaning costs will come down. Also, a genuine sense of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the parking lot owners that urge them to keep the shared area clean.

Dividing the parking area into small sections, going for combined-use parking areas, or using eco-friendly oil spill cleaners to get rid of the oil spills as and when they occur can help deal with the situation. So, if you wish to save our environment, then go green in your parking issues. Make use of Oil Gone Easy S-200, which is available in 5 gallon pails to keep your parking area spotless!

Popularity: 2% [?]

With 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf waters, the BP oil disaster is one of the largest oil spills in the history of petroleum industry. The Gulf Oil Spill created panic waves among the people of the United States and various spill cleanup methods were employed to quash the dreary situation in the coastal areas. Skimming was done to remove the upper layer of the spill. Oil dispersant chemicals and polyethylene pads were also used to disperse and sop up the oil slicks. However, many environmental activists were skeptical as to what effect these cleanup methods would have on the environment.

Environmentally friendly methods like bioremediation were considered as the best method to accomplish safe and complete oil spill cleanup. Months after the disastrous spill, environmental impact of the spill still manages to capture the headlines. So, eco-friendly oil spill containment products like Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 are being field tested by scientists. The result of the laboratory tests were quite impressive, and is most likely expected to be treated on a large scale.

For the laboratory tests, water samples from coastal areas affected by the Deep Water Horizon Spill were taken, and were treated with Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 over a period of 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, it was found that the product degraded 95.9% of alkanes, which is truly promising.

Employing the naturally occurring micro organisms, Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 breaks the bonds in the oil molecule and degrades it into water and carbon dioxide. Now, Oil Gone Easy S-200 is seriously being considered for the cleanup of coastal areas impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Spill in Louisiana, as experts believe that there is solid science behind this product.

Not just for marine oil spills, Oil Gone Easy S-200 works in several other situations, be it on land or water. Oil specks usually found on driveways and garages can be effectively treated using this product. Don’t get carried away by the false hopes that detergents and dispersant chemicals give about effectively treating oil spills. They only make matters worse. Instead, try Oil Gone Easy S-200. It is not only safe but also effective.

With its unique formula and all-around usage, this eco-friendly oil spill cleaner is surely one of the revolutionary products you would have ever come across!

Popularity: 2% [?]

It is nothing new that crude oil companies rely on a large network of pipelines to get oil from one place to another. These pipes stretch for miles on end and pass through sea-beds, plains, and high mountains. And the major menace afflicting the companies is losses due to oil leakages encountered in the pipelines.

So what paves the way for these devastating pipe leaks? Well, most of these oil leakages are due to corrosion, but in some cases other natural causes may also be to blame. Wondering why do the companies wait until the pipes corrode? Here is the answer! It’s been 50 – 60 years since majority of the oil pipelines were laid. Since then, not much of maintenance has been done on these pipes, causing corrosion at many places and thereby resulting in crude oil leakages!

Now, let’s take a closer look at how these distressing oil leaks can be prevented! One of the most effective ways with which oil leaks can be prevented is by carrying out regular oil pipe line cleaning. The debris that gets deposited in the pipeline, in particular, calls for a tougher action. Thanks to the advancement in technology! We are currently provided with two approaches to this end – mechanical cleaning and advanced chemical cleaning.

Mechanical oil pipe line cleaning involves specially designed equipment, called “pigs”, to move inside the pipelines and clean up the deposits. These “pigs” cut and swab through the debris and clear the pipeline completely. But, this process requires lot of patience, time, and of course attention! So, the industry is now moving on to advanced chemical cleaning, wherein the “pigs” are used in conjunction with chemical oil spill cleaners, allowing the debris to be cleared in a much shorter time.

Although advanced chemical cleaning is an effective and efficient way of oil pipeline cleaning, these chemicals cause harm to our environment as they are non biodegradable. So, the best way to clean pipeline without causing any harm to the environment would be, using eco friendly products. The Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 is one such effective biodegradable oil remover, which not just removes oil spills effectively, but is also safe on Mother Nature. With Marine S-200, even the oil companies can now their share in safeguarding the environment and minimizing the chances of another Canadian oil spill.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The ruthless snowstorm and the long hours of biting cold are over, and it’s time to think about warm summer days! If you want your home to look its best this summer, then carry out an efficient spring cleanup. Spring cleanup is not just about cleaning the interior of your house; but you must pay equal attention to your outdoors too. Cleaning the sidewalk, gutter, flagstone, lawn, garage, and other such areas should also be taken into account.

Cleaning is always irksome. If you wish to make it simple, then plan ahead. Before starting to clean, get rid of the clutter that has piled up over the long winter months. Also, make sure you clean one room at a time to avoid jumbling!

You get to see so many kinds of stain once you start cleaning your home. And, one most prominent kind is the oil stain. You can see oil stains in your kitchen floor, carpet, furniture, clothes, garage, and driveway.

If you think oil stain removal is easy with chemical dispersants or oil absorbent pads, then you are sure to invite trouble. Dispersants release toxic chemicals that can even be carcinogenic. And when it comes to absorbent pads, they do not remove all of the stain. How about adopting a greener approach? Oil Gone Easy Home and Driveway S-200 is an eco-friendly product that will help you chuck out oil spills and is a better alternative for chemical cleaners! This green product is ideal for use on any surface and is easy to apply as well.

When you are doing spring cleanup, you just cannot ignore oil stains in your garage or driveway. By spraying Oil Gone Easy Home and Driveway S-200 over the spill and leaving it undisturbed, you can employ microbes to do the cleaning. To add the convenience, this biodegradable oil spill cleaner is available in 5-gallon pails. Given all this, why should anyone fret about oil spill removal at home? With such innovative green products, clean your homes efficiently, and get a head start on the summer months.

Popularity: 2% [?]