Oil Spill Blog

You never know when you will come across an oil spill in your day to day life. Oil spills can happen just about anywhere in your home or office. Oil stains on the carpet in your office or on the kitchen slab are enough to get you worried. You could end up using ordinary oil stain removers, paper towels, or other such methods. Unfortunately, these methods don’t work well and your expensive rugs are just spoilt.

Most of us dread the tedious process of cleaning up oil spills in our garages and driveways. The labour involved in driveway oil spill cleanup with unsuitable cleaners is worse than anything. More than that, it just leaves you at the risk of being exposed to hazardous chemicals from the oil spills as well as the toxic oil stain removers. Even the children and pets at home run the risk of getting affected by the chemicals of these oil spill cleaners.

The size of an oil spill does matter. Small oil stains or oil spills are easy to manage, but unfortunately if a spill is huge paper towels or other such methods just won’t do the trick. Hence, oil spill kits are a must to protect yourself and others from the potential risk of an oil spill occurrence.

Oil spill kits may include a variety of tools, such as absorbent booms, absorbent mats, appropriate hand protection, and of course oil spill cleaners. Though, use of adsorbent booms and absorbent mats may seem like a good idea at the time, later disposing off these oil laden materials without any further harm can prove to be a problem. Hence, for cleaning up oil spills consider a handy, effective, safe, and eco friendly oil spill cleaner, such as Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200. This oil stain remover is designed to meet even the emergency needs. What’s more, it is safe on the environment as it makes use of environmentally friendly bioremediation technology. So, make this product a prime component of your oil spill kit!

Popularity: 12% [?]

Oil spills occur due to leakage from improper oil tanks, offshore drilling, or faulty pipelines. Disorganized transportation of oil is another important factor that leads to oil spills. It is important to act fast to clean up an oil spill and prevent the oil from spreading to a bigger area. When it comes to oil spill cleanup, crude oil and their derivatives are the worst. Traditional oil spill cleanup methods such as incineration, used especially for crude oil spill cleanup, are expensive and are also considered extremely harmful to the environment. So, natural methods of oil spill cleanup are always sought after.

A group of scientists from the Department of Industrial Microbiology at University College, Dublin, conducted a research on the action of certain microbes in tackling with the pollutants in an oil spill. Their research showed the exceptionally diverse nature of these microbes. While some of the constituents of oil proved to be toxic to some of the bacteria, other bacteria were capable of using the oil compounds as food ultimately breaking them down.

According to researchers, simply adding microbes to the spilled oil or the oil stain will not work. Only specific bacteria work upon the oil components to break them down into harmless compounds. Choosing the most applicable bacteria will only help in cleaning up an oil spill. Manipulation and usage of natural microbial populations is necessary to break down the contaminants and bring back the environment to its original form.

Bioremediation has proven to be natural and effective process to gradually destroy the harmful pollutants in oil spills and remove oil stains. It only calls for the use of a specific set of bacteria that will work on any contaminated site. Oil Gone Easy S-200 is one such oil spill cleaner that makes use of the bioremediation technology effectively and cleans not just soil and marine oil spills, but also oil stains from any surface at home.

Popularity: 15% [?]

In-situ oil burning is an effective response for oil spill cleanup on the spot. Oil spill cleanup can be accomplished with comparatively lesser manpower and low cost. Though in-situ burning of oil is effectual in oil spill cleanup, this method poses a serious threat to the environment as well as human beings.

In-situ oil burning is also done on water, but it depends greatly on the thickness of the slick, water temperature, wind speed and direction, oil type, and wave amplitude. After in-situ oil burning the residues tend to sink deep into the water system thus paving the way for toxic build up in the water body. Hence, this method doesn’t hold good for cleaning up oil spills in water.

Oil spill removal through in-situ oil burning greatly affects the people in the neighbourhood areas, the soil, the plantations, and the wildlife within the proximity of the oil spill. In-situ oil burning sometimes results in the seepage of oil further deep into the soil and shoreline sediments. It releases particulate pollutants, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbon monoxide, and other toxic gases directly into the atmosphere rendering the air unfavourable for breathing. The response personnel are also at risk due to the intense heat sources used in in-situ burning. So care should be taken while employing in-situ oil burning. Pollution detection equipments to monitor the particulate pollutant levels in the air should be utilized.

The above mentioned considerations have to be made in using in situ oil burning as the cleanup strategy. Taking into consideration all the drawbacks of in-situ burning, use of eco-friendly oil cleaners, such as Oil Gone Easy S-200 would be ideal for efficient oil spill containment. As opposed to in-situ burning, this oil spill cleanup procedure is extremely safe as it biodegrades the hydrocarbons present in the oil using the microbes present in the environment.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Fuel oils spills in residential areas can be classified into two types: small oil spills and large oil spills. Small oil spills are usually caused due to leakage in oil tanks or pipes. Large oil spills occur while filling storage oil tanks, due overturning of tanks, or when a basement oil tank overfills. Small scale oil spill cleanup can be done by us. But for large scale oil spills we would definitely need a professional help.

There are some basic oil spill cleanup methods that should be followed by everyone.

• Even small oil spills need to be responded immediately. If left as it is, the spilled oil will seep into cracks and will be very difficult to clean. If the spill is saturated on a concrete or wooden surface, then the only way to clean up the place would be demolition of the place. To avoid this problem, you can try Oil Gone Easy S-200. It is an oil stain remover that removes oil stains from any surface that include concrete, flag stone, brick, pavers, and soil.

• In case of oil spills in your house, first thing to be done is to turn off flame and spark sources. Attempt to clean up the spilled oil by vacuum cleaner should also be avoided.

For small oil spills

• Prevent unnecessary exposure to oil by the use of rubber gloves and shoes. Proper ventilation is also very important to avoid any accidents.

• Use absorbent material over the spill. Dispose the oil spill absorbent carefully in a heavy-duty plastic bag. Use of soap and hot water is recommended to clean up oil on hard surfaces and appliances. Repeat the cleaning if necessary.

For large oil spills

• Report the spill immediately to an oil delivery company or to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It is important to inform the fire department for them to check for any explosion hazard. Call a professional clean up service.

• Fuel oil has many toxic substances that cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and also causes serious health problems in extreme cases.

In any case of oil spill, care should be taken to avoid harmful chemicals which affect the environment as well as animals. Use environmentally friendly products, such as Oil Gone Easy for oil spill cleanup methods.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Global Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from the Land-based Activities (GPA) is an intergovernmental program that addresses linkages between water sheds and coastal environment. GPA is designed to provide practical guidance to national and regional authorities and help devise and implement actions to prevent, reduce, control, and eliminate marine degradation caused by land-based activities.

GPA was adopted by 109 governments in the year 1995. The European commission adopted the GPA and declared their commitment to protect and preserve the marine environment from harmful land-based activities.

Coastal waters and deep oceans are being polluted by contaminants like heavy metals, nuclear wastes, hydrocarbons, and other chemicals due to marine oil spills. Agricultural and industrial waste runoffs are also major sources of marine water pollution.

A global level action plan is required to clean up marine oil spills and prevent further accidents. GPA is being used as a valuable tool to increase the resilience of marine and coastal environment to changes in climate.

This action program also provides a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, and flexible approach to oil spill cleanups. GPA is proving to be an effective tool to stop devastation to marine life by oil spills and discharges. Oil spill cleanup is very essential to stop the destruction of marine life and in turn boost the fishing and tourism industry.

Bio degradable eco-friendly products should be used to clean up marine oil spills. Oil spill cleanup can be done using Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200, which is an oil eating liquid. This biodegradable product has been accredited by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 has natural occurring microorganisms, which splits up hydrocarbons in oil into harmless compounds. This product is non irritating, non toxic, and non inflammable, which makes it very safe for use. Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 can also be applied on rubber, metal, wood or fiberglass without any damage.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Several studies have been conducted by researchers the world over to address the various aspects of oil behavior during marine oil spills and oil spills on land. There may be many reasons for oil spills, but to ensure a successful oil spill response, it is very important to know the behavior of oil in different circumstances.

In marine oil spills the most common type of oil spilled is crude oil. When marine oil spills occur, the oil disperses rapidly in the same direction as the wind causing long and narrow slicks. The lighter fractions of the oil evaporate at a faster rate, whereas the denser particles tend to sink to the seabed, causing widespread harm to the aquatic life. Due to the wave action some oil even mixes with the water and emulsifies. The hierarchies on the food chain, from sea plankton to the largest of whales are greatly affected.

In contrast, on land, the lightest of oils prove to be a larger problem, as these oils seep through the soil at a much faster rate. This poses a risk to the purity of groundwater. The heavier and denser oils have higher viscosity and cannot penetrate through the ground easily. In cases of oil spills on land, spreading does not take place, so there will not be any evaporation of the lighter fractions or emulsification. The chance of the oil mixing with gravel, vegetation and other soil is also at hand.

The crucial steps in a response action plan include speedy response times, efficient control of widespread dispersion both on land and on sea, skimmers and pumps to take care of the resulting debris, and a temporary storage facility. Oil spill cleanup is one of the most important steps in any response plan. Oil Gone Easy S-200 is an eco-friendly oil spill cleaner that biodegrades any kind of oil, on any surface without causing any environmental harm.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Pollution may be defined as the contamination of the natural environment by addition of harmful substances. Basically, the source of pollution is differentiated into two types – point source pollution and nonpoint source pollution. When pollutants are discharged from a single source, then it is called as point source pollution. It could be from sewage discharge plants or industrial waste from companies. Large scale oil spills from oil tanks or ships are best examples of point source pollution.

Unlike point source pollution, the sources of nonpoint source pollution are very diverse. Rain water or flowing water picks up many contaminants including motor oil, grease, sand, wastes, and other toxic materials. These pollutants are finally deposited into waterways such as coastal waters, rivers, lakes, and underground water, thus polluting them. According to the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, nonpoint source pollution is the number one cause of water quality problem in the country.

Even individual households contribute to nonpoint source pollution through improper usage of chemicals and pesticides and other household practices. Waste water from houses may contain toxic substances, such as oil, grease, metals, pesticides, and PCBs which are the major sources of nonpoint pollution. Motor oil spills from parking lots or runways, oil spilled from storage tanks or motor boats, and off-shore drilling operations are the leading sources of water pollution along shore lines and other areas.

The ecological impact of oil spills on marine as well as land animals can be terrible, which results in reduced flora and fauna. Oil spill cleanup, if done immediately helps prevent the spilled oil from being washed away by running water. You can use eco-friendly products offered by Oil Gone Easy for oil spill cleanup. These biodegradable products break down toxic substances into simple substances that do not cause water pollution.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Oil spills at home can be classified into a seep or a leak. A slow seepage of oil that doesn’t produce a drip is called a seep. This kind of oil spill is usually not visible on the pavement as a spill.

On the other hand, when oil drips from vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and lawn mowers resulting in a puddle of oil, it is called a leak. A leak not only happens when the vehicle is parked, but also when it is on the move. It can be pretty dangerous as it not only damages the engine of the vehicle internally but is also harmful to the environment. So a leak needs to be looked into promptly.

Reasons for oil spills from vehicles are plenty. Some common causes include structural design problems, poor quality of products and accessories used, and wear-off of sealing materials due to long-term use. Another major cause of oil spills at home are domestic oil tanks. These oil spills result in the contamination of ground water and also pose serious health hazards.

So we should take steps not only to prevent an oil spill from occurring, but also be prepared to handle if an oil spill occurs. For driveway oil spills or any other oil spill at home, adopt environmentally-friendly oil spill cleanup techniques to avoid causing further harm to the environment.

When it comes to oil spill cleanup, granular absorbents such as kitty litter, solvents, and toxic cleaners are usually used in the United States. All these oil spill cleanup techniques are environmentally hazardous as they don’t biodegrade the oil. The only eco-friendly oil spill cleanup technique that completely biodegrades oil without causing any further harm is bioremediation. So make sure you use oil spill cleaners that utilize this green technology.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Pollution caused by oil spills from tankers is one of the biggest threats to our environment. But it is only one part of the picture. Not many know that oil runoff from cars, trucks, and other vehicles also cause severe marine pollution. When it rains, oil leaked onto roads and driveways is washed into the storm drains, which ultimately flows into lakes or streams.

Used motor oil is the largest source of oil pollution. In fact, of the 20 million gallons of oil that escape into the North American waters every year, only 15% are caused by pipeline or tanker spills. The remaining 17 million gallons are due to oil spills from cars and trucks, fuel dumping by commercial pilots, and contamination by recreational boaters.

Oil leaked from cars pollutes drinking water and waterways in more ways than you can imagine. One of the main reasons why auto fluids are termed as very harmful is that they do not dissolve in water like oil. One pint of motor oil results in a slick that is larger than a football field.

The underground aquifers that supply us drinking water are polluted and cost millions of dollars to municipalities in drinking water treatment and operational expenses. Oil, antifreeze, and break fluids that seep into the water contain heavy metals wrecking havoc on the wildlife. Hypothermia in birds, damage to the immune system in animals, and death of fish are only some of the effects.

All this shows how a simple oversight on our part can pollute our planet. It is our responsibility to take steps to protect our environment. First and foremost is to take steps to prevent oil spills. If an oil spill does occur even after all these, be prepared to deal with it.

For oil spill cleanup from driveways or anywhere else at home, use eco-friendly oil spill cleaners such as Oil Gone Easy S-200 instead of other toxic oil stain removers. This environmentally-friendly oil stain remover uses bio-remediation technology to cleanup driveway oil stains the natural way without causing any further harm.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Millions of gallons of oil is stored and delivered everyday through tanker ships, pipelines, and trucks in America. Oil, though a valuable energy resource, is extremely hazardous to soil, groundwater, freshwater, marine habitats, human, and animal life when spilled, as it contains toxic chemicals.

To conserve this valuable energy resource and to safeguard the nation’s health and environment, several spill prevention actions are being undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.) Foremost among them is that oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan. It is a facility-specific plan that requires any facility that stores large quantities of oil in any form to develop and implement a scheme that spells out its preventive measures as well as its response capabilities.

To be more specific, it is mandatory for facilities with more than 1,320 gallons of above ground oil storage capacity using storage media such as tanks, containers, drums, portable totes, transformers, and oil-filled electrical equipment and facilities with 42,000 gallons of underground tank storage capacity to prepare a SPCC plan.

The SPCC plan covers the following areas, namely operating procedures for oil spill prevention; control measures for preventing a spill from reaching navigable waters; and countermeasure to contain, oil spill cleanup, and reduce the effects of the spill.

In addition to written management approval, the SPCC plan must also be certified by a registered professional engineer. This plan must be reviewed and documented once in every three years. It should also be amended if the facility undergoes any change in the design, construction, operation, or maintenance. These amendments too must be certified by a registered professional engineer.

The consequences of non-compliance of the SPCC plan are severe. If untrained personnel are used, or if a spill that enters a waterway is not reported, or if there is a lack of an adequate SPCC plan, it can result in fines up to $25,000 per day per.

Popularity: 4% [?]