Oil Spill Blog

To clean oil stains off your driveway has always been a tedious process. When it involves toxic products containing noxious chemicals, the process becomes all the more messy and hazardous.

To put an end to all such woes, Oil Gone Easy has come up with a unique solution, Home & Driveway S-200. The Journal Sentinel recently carried a feature by Karen Herzog on this product.

The article explains how the oil stain removal process takes place through bioremediation, which uses bacteria to break down the oil. Oil Gone Easy S-200 uses special nutrients that attract microorganisms to the spill and then break down the oil into byproducts such as water to clean oil stains.

All that is needed is to pour the solution on the stain and leave it for as long as possible to clean oil stains. The manufacturer recommends users to leave the solution on the stains for about a week in normal cases and for two weeks in case of heavy stains to effectively clean oil stains.

The news feature also states that the product works well on different surfaces, including driveways, concrete, garages, and even soil. There is no need of scrubbing and the clean up in not messy, like in the case of degreasers. After the oil stain removal, the solution degrades quickly and completely and there is neither any trace nor any odour of the solution. It is also a safe product and causes no harm to kids and pets.

Another fact that is in favour of Oil Gone Easy S-200 is that it’s waterproof. So it works even if it’s raining. The product was extensively used to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. It is a completely viable product to clean oil stains and it is available by the quart for homeowners for $21.95 at www.oilgoneeasy.com.

Popularity: 50% [?]

Causes of oil pollution are many. They can range from minor spills from recreational boats to serious oil spills from commercial vessels. Whatever the cause, it leads to serious marine pollution.

Large oil spills come to notice very quickly. Marine pollution authorities therefore respond quickly to clean them up. But minor oil spills that result from pumping oily bilge water overboard or from careless refueling go unnoticed even though they are a major cause of marine pollution, which harms the marine environment.

Several steps have been taken to prevent marine pollution, including laws such as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. According to these acts, the discharge of any kind of oil in the navigable water of the United States that causes a film, sheen, discoloration, sludge, or emulsion on or beneath the surface of water is strictly prohibited and can result in stiff civic penalties.

To avoid these penalties and to prevent further oil pollution here are some preventive measures that will help in keeping the discharged bilge water clean.

• The engine of the boat should be maintained properly to avoid fuel or oil leaks. Oil filters should also be changed often.

• Floating oil, if any, should be soaked up with a sorbent material before pumping the bilge. An absorbent pad or a drip tray should also be kept under the engine.

• During bilge cleaning do not mix detergents with oily bilge water as they can prove even more toxic than the oil. Instead, use a biodegradable bilge cleaner like Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200. This bilge cleaner is environmentally friendly and will not cause marine pollution.

Following these simple preventive measures will not only result in clean bilges but will also result in a green earth.

Popularity: 46% [?]

The Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred on March 24, 1989 in Prince William Sound, Alaska is the most devastating oil spill ever on sea. This oil spill is a classic example of human-caused environmental disaster. When the ship ran aground it spilled more than 10.8 million gallons of oil. Even though the Exxon Valdez oil spill may not be the biggest oil spill, it still was the costliest ever. This was mainly because Prince William Sound was remotely located and could be accessed only by a helicopter or a boat.

The cost of an oil spill is determined by several factors such as the type of oil, amount of oil spilled, location of the spill, and rate of spillage. In the case of Exxon Valdez, the type of oil spilled was crude oil. Crude oil, in general, is viscous, persistent, and sticky and cleaning it up is not an easy task. This was one of the main reasons that the cost oil spill cleanup was so high in the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Apart from the millions of dollars lost from the oil spilled, Exxon Valdez spent quite a lot on oil spill cleanup. Eight thousand dollars was spent a day just to charter boats for cleanup. In fact, Exxon Valdez spent a staggering $2.5 billion on cleanup alone, an amount equal to one fifth of its total revenue for the year.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill had its effects on more than one thousand miles of the Alaskan shoreline. Birds and animals were severely affected by it. Exxon Valdez had to spend thousands of dollars on every single animal saved. An additional seventy-five million dollars was given to fishermen to make up for their loss.

There are also other factors that make the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the most expensive oil spill. Exxon had to spend $150 million on criminal plea agreement, $100 million on criminal restitution, and $900 million on civil settlement. In 1994, it was also was charged $5 billion of punitive damages, which was later reduced to $4.5 billion.

Popularity: 47% [?]

When an oil spill occurs, it affects both the environment and the economy. Marine life, fishing industry, and other local industries like tourism are greatly hit by oil spills. In the United States alone, more than 20,000 emergencies that involve the release of oil and hazardous substances are reported every year. These emergencies are anywhere between large spills that require prompt action to small scale spills.

To prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established the Oil Spill Program, which is administered through 10 EPA regions and EPA headquarters.

Prevention:

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires that facilities that store, process, use, drill, produce, transfer, distribute, or refine oil, must draft Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure or SPCC Plans. Factors such as the type of oil transfer operations, company’s oil storage capacity, and its record of spills are taken into account while preparing these plans. These plans must be certified by a professional engineer and implemented by the owners or operators of these facilities. EPA also conducts on-site facility inspections, and it also enforces oil spill liability and penalty provisions.

Prepare:

The next step in the emergency response program is preparedness. Even with all these preventive measures, oil spills do occur. So these facilities need to be prepared for the worst. Preparing for an oil spill of any magnitude is a big challenge and requires considerable planning and training. Developing and coordinating contingency plans and conducting oil spill prevention and response training are the two basic elements of EPA’s oil spill preparedness program.

Response:

The next step in the EPA emergency management program is response. When an oil spill occurs, the party responsible for the spill usually contains and cleans up. But in some cases, the assistance of local and state agencies and even the federal government may be required to respond to oil spills. The EPA’s emergency response program lays emphasis on the elimination of danger posed by oil spills and hazardous substance to the public and environment.

Popularity: 46% [?]

What is environmental remediation

Environmental remediation is the process of environmental cleanup that restores a polluted or contaminated site to a state that is not harmful for human beings and other living organisms. In most cases, it involves media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water. Before deciding on the technology, a complete environmental assessment of the contaminated site has to be done to decide the approach towards the restoration.

Remediation technologies

Remediation solutions that are adopted for an environmental cleanup can be broadly categorized into ex-situ and in-situ methods. While the affected soils are excavated and the surface then treated using ex-situ methods, the contamination is treated without removing the soils by means of in-situ methods.

Excavation or dredging – In this process, the contaminated soil is dug up and transported to regulated dump sites. But, if the bottom of a river or bay gets contaminated, dredging is employed for environmental remediation.

Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation (SEAR) – Special surfactants or hydrocarbon mitigation agents are injected into the subsurface to reduce desorption, which in turn speeds up the recovery process.

Pump and treat – The contaminated groundwater is pumped out and then treated for contamination through a series of vessels.

Solidification and stabilization – In stabilization, different kinds of reagents are added to the contaminated material to make it more stable chemically whereas, in solidification, the reagents are added to make it physically or dimensionally stable and limit the access to external agents like rain and air.

In-situ oxidation – This method involves injection of strong oxidants into contaminated soil and groundwater resources for environmental remediation.

In-situ vitrification – Contaminants and the surrounding soil are melted here using electricity and then cooled to form glass.

Bioremediation – It is defined as the process that uses microorganisms or their enzymes to return the environment polluted by contaminants to its original condition. It is an eco-friendly approach towards remediation and uses products such as Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 while dealing with oil spill cleanups.

Popularity: 44% [?]

The 2009 Queensland oil spill occurred on March 11, 2009 off the coast of southeast Queensland. On that fateful night when Cyclone Hamish battered the coast of Australia’s northern state, MV Pacific Adventurer spilled 230 tons of fuel oil, 30 tons of other fuel, and 620 tons of ammonium nitrate into the Coral Sea, north of Moreton Bay, changing the face of the much-famed Gold Coast.

Unsecured cargo on the ship dislodged from the deck and damaged other cargo onboard, causing the spillage. Sixty kilometers of pristine coastline areas, including Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, and Bribie Island were badly affected by the spill. Oil spill cleanup operations have cost the government so much in terms of money. It is widely believed that 31 containers with ammonium nitrate are still present somewhere in the Coral Sea floor; if it disperses into the ocean it might cause widespread algal blooms.

What is the bearing on the ecosystem

The oil spilled in one of Australia’s worst ever oil spill disasters is highly toxic heavy-grade bunker oil. Bunker oil is not easy to get rid of and a thick sludge remains even after the volatile part of the oil has evaporated. Products from Oil Gone Easy help in removal of such spills caused by oil spill disasters in an eco-friendly manner.

Oil spill effects on the ecosystem can be disastrous and wildlife coming into direct contact with the oil will be severely affected. Inhaling, ingesting, and absorbing oil are dangerous as well. Once it enters the food chain, the entire cycle can get contaminated, ranging from the smallest plankton to human beings. Depending on the intensity and level of exposure to oil vapor, it might lead to cancer. They can also damage various parts of the body, including blood, kidney, liver, skin, central nervous system, and parts of the eye.

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Here is a list of 10 major oil spills in history that caused severe oil pollution and irreparable damage to the ecosystem.

1. Amoco Cadiz – The Amoco Cadiz ran aground on Portsall Rocks, three miles off the coast of Brittany, France on March 16, 1978 due to stormy weather. Approximately 200 miles of the coastline was polluted as the entire cargo of 68.7 million gallons of oil was spilled into the sea.

2. Arabian Gulf Spills – About 900 million barrels of oil spilled into the Arabian Gulf as the Iraqi army destroyed tankers, oil terminals, and oil wells in Kuwait during the Gulf war in January 1991, resulting in one of the largest oil spill disasters ever.

3. Exxon Valdez – In what is regarded as the largest oil spill disaster in American history, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989, spilling 10.8 million gallons of oil. The cleanup alone cost $2.5 billion.

4. Ixtoc I – The exploratory well blew out on June 3, 1979 in the Gulf of Mexico and by the time the well was brought under control, 140 million gallons of oil had spilled. This is rated as No. 2 on the list of worst oil spill incidents on record.

5. Burmah Agate – The Burmah Agate collided with the Mimosa in Galveston harbor on November 1, 1979 to cause one of the most infamous marine oil spills.

6. Atlantic Empress – The Greek oil tanker Atlantic Empress was involved in two major oil spills when it collided with the Aegean Captain off Trinidad and Tobago during a tropical rainstorm on July 19, 1979. The spills together are the largest ship-based spill and the fourth largest total oil spill in history.

7. Argo Oil Merchant - On December 15, 1976 the Argo Merchant ran aground on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts spilling 7.7 million US gallons of fuel oil, enough to heat 18,000 homes for a year.

8. Prestige Oil Spill – The largest environmental disaster ever in Spain, the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige off the Galician coast on November 13, 2002 caused considerable damage to the local fishing industry.

9. Barge Bouchard 155 – Three ships, the barge Bouchard 155, the freighter Balsa 37, and the barge Ocean 255, collided in Tampa Bay, Florida, on August 10, 1993. The Bouchard 155 alone spilled an estimated 336,000 gallons of No.6 fuel oil.

10. Southeast Queensland – The cleanup efforts were estimated at a staggering A$100,000 dollars a day in one of the recent oil spill disasters, which occurred on March 11, 2009 off the coast of southeast Queensland.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Boating is not only a means of transportation, but also a recreational activity for many. It is the responsibility of each boater to keep our waters free from pollutants like oil, fuel, sewage, trash, toxic cleaning and maintenance products, and bottom paints. The best way to do this is to switch to green boating.

Here are a few steps that boaters can follow for clean boating and marine environmental protection:

• Prevent oily discharge: This is the most important step in any green boating program. Prevent fuel or oil from leaking into the water by keeping your engine well tuned. Have oil absorbent pads or pillows in places where drips may occur. While filling the tank, do it slowly and only fill to around 90% of the tank capacity to prevent the fuel from overflowing. Utilize oil change pumps for transferring oil to a spill-proof container.

• Never use soap: In case of fuel or oil spills, do not use soap to clean them. It causes a lot of damage to the environment and is also illegal to dump oily water overboard.

• Use green products: Use green products for bilge cleaning, like Marine S-200 bilge cleaner from Oil Gone Easy. Using green products will help you protect the environment.

• Contain and recycle waste: Don’t throw trash overboard. Also, avoid plastic products or products with plastic packaging; opt for reusable containers instead. Use a hazardous waste collection facility to dispose other harmful waste products, like paint, batteries, or oil filters, and recycle plastic, glass, metal, and paper.

• Maintain your vessel: Clean your work area regularly. Use tarps and vacuum sanders to contain all debris. Besides keeping the engine well tuned, repair oil and fuel leaks promptly. By doing so, you will not only minimize pollution, but will also save money on fuel.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Oil spill cleanups are considered to be highly complex because no two oil spills are the same. Oil spills can differ in terms of oil types, locations, and weather conditions. Many different approaches are being adopted to fight oil spills and oil spill pollution. The main methods currently being used are natural dispersal, booms and skimmers, dispersants, in-situ burning, and bioremediation.

The natural way

If an oil spill is unlikely to affect the coastal region or the ecosystem, then it is usually best to let it disperse naturally. The wind, sun, current, and waves work together to disperse and evaporate oils quickly.

Booms and skimmers

Spilled oil floats on water and forms a slick that ranges from fractions of a millimeter to a few millimeters thick. Different types of booms ranging from inflatable neoprene tubes to solid, buoyant material are used to enclose the slick and isolate as well as restrict its movement. The slick is then scooped or sucked into storage tanks by skimmers. However, booms and skimmers require calm waters and are not very effective in high winds and high seas.

Dispersants and in-situ burning

Using an oil spill dispersant is another common way to clean oil spills. These materials break down the oil into its chemical components and help disperse it, thereby minimizing the damage to the ecosystem. For optimal results, dispersants should be applied within two hours of the spill.

In-situ burning, where the oil on the water surface is ignited, is also a method used to fight oil spillage. However, it is not eco-friendly, as it produces toxic smoke that can harm the environment. Bioremediation, on the other hand, is a very environmentally-friendly option.

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the process of using microorganisms or their enzymes to restore the environment affected by a spill to its original condition. Green products, like Oil Gone Easy S-200, help clean oil spills without harming the environment through bioremediation.

Popularity: 18% [?]