Oil Spill Blog

Home heating oil spills can occur due to many reasons. One common cause for such oil spills is that there might be a leak in the storage tank or the storage tank might overfill and end up in a spill. Although it’s quite a common issue, responding to it at the earliest is essential!

Why do home heating oil spills require a quick response? It’s simply because there are chances that such spills can contaminate your drinking water! Also, these oil spills pose threat to your safety as the fuel is combustible. And also your house might smell unpleasant because of the odors emanating from these spills.

Here is what you should do if you happen to come across a home heating oil spill:
• As oil is combustible, to be on the safe side, it is wise to turn off all ignition sources. Also, avoiding smoking or lighting a match in the affected area.
• React immediately! You can get the help of your local fire department. Your next move should be to call up the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) 24-hr hotline and inform them about the oil spill.
• You should open up windows and ventilators to get rid of the odor and fumes.
• Do not breathe in the oil fumes or have any physical contact with oil. Rubber boots or gloves can be used to safeguard yourself!
• And finally you can use eco-friendly products such as the Oil Gone Easy S-200 to ensure effective oil spill cleanup. The Oil Gone Easy S-200 is an environmentally safe product to deal with oil spills, and it works by bonding with oil and breaking it into water and carbon dioxide.

Follow these simple steps and protect your family and yourself from the ill effects of home heating oil spills!

Popularity: 1% [?]

The oil spill that occurred in the Michigan River has been declared as the “largest oil spill in the history of the Midwest.” With more than 80,000 gallons of oil being released into a creek and making its way into the Kalamazoo River, a state of emergency was declared in southwest Michigan’s Kalamazoo County.

Morrow Lake a recreation spot between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo was also contaminated because of this oil spill. As with any oil spill birds and fishes have also been affected. The spill has also led to the evacuation of few homes and relocation of about two dozen people.

Jeff Spoelstra, coordinator for the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, said that this disaster has further pushed back the effort that was being taken to cleanup the already polluted river. Crews were dispatched for oil spill cleanup by both Enbridge Energy Partners and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To limit the oil’s spread into the surrounding wetlands, skimmers and 28,000 feet of boom were also set up.

At the Ceresco Dam, downstream from the leak, workers used vacuum trucks to cleanup the oil spill from the water. When the air near the oil spill was tested, cancer-causing chemical benzene was found present. As it was only in trace levels, it was termed harmless to the residents. Groundwater testing was also proposed, to check if the oil might have seeped through.

People have been advised by the Michigan Department of Community Health to stay away from the river during the oil spill cleanup. Although oil spill containment has been done, it is expected to take months to completely clean up the oil spill. The oil spill has been contained, but for further cleanup of the remaining oil, the officials can give heed to the recommendation made by State of Louisiana to use Oil Gone Easy S-200 for effective oil spill cleanup.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Oil spills on highways; most of us would never have given a second thought to them. But, once you just get a glimpse of their damaging effects, the impact will remain in your minds for a long time. In case of an oil spill on highways, not only are the people who live and drive in the nearby area exposed, but also the ocean’s, which may seem many miles away, are affected.

Here are some of the major impacts of oil spills that occur on highways:

• Highways are probably one area that is filled with a variety of toxic chemicals, including fuel and brake fluids. But how many of us are aware that the fuel spilt as a result of accidents and leaks from vehicles, reaches the nearby rivers and drains, when it rains? As estimated, the amount of oil leaked from highway runoff from a single large city is almost equal to that resulting from a tanker spill.

• Oil spill on a highway has one more profound impact; it makes the driving surface extremely slippery. The conditions get even worse when it rains, especially in areas with lower rainfall. It’s because of the fact that in such areas oil leaks from cars accumulate over long periods making the roads more slippery when it eventually rains.

• Well, this is not the end! Spills on highway can also affect public health. Apart from causing irritation to human skin, exposure to oil can increase the susceptibility to cancer. Also, since the runoff from highways contaminates the oceans, even marine life is affected and eventually the people who consume contaminated marine food.

Having gotten a fair idea about the effects of small or large oil spills on highways, you’ll no longer wonder about the importance of immediate oil spill containment. So, if you happen to come across an oil spill, then immediate response using eco-friendly oil spill cleaners, such as Oil Gone Easy S-200 may prove fruitful.

Popularity: 9% [?]

What if someone pours gallons of crude oil on you, in your home, and over your entire neighborhood? Petrified by the act? Marine organisms face a similar plight whenever a marine oil spill occurs. Oil spill behavior irreversibly damages the fauna and flora of the marine eco system.

Rapid currents and wind spread the marine oil spill to coastal areas and other waterways all over the world. As the oil spreads, it turns into a sticky mass called mousse. When feathery creatures encounter this, they are soaked up in mousse, and begin battling for life.

Oil by nature has a tendency to keep us warm. When it clings on the feathers it makes birds lose their ability to insulate themselves, forcing them to death eventually. The mousse not only affects birds but also seal pups and otters, whose fur gets sticky and messy.

What is even worse is that the birds and animals try to wipe out the oil from their bodies by licking it! They accidently swallow the harmful oil and poison themselves with the toxins and harmful chemicals in the crude oil.

Marine oil spill also has a devastating effect on the reproduction rate. The Gulf of Mexico is the breeding ground for many turtles and sharks. The vast spread of the oil spill has affected the egg laying season of the marine life, leading to a decrease in the marine population. In extreme cases, the oil spill has adverse effects on the behavior of the marine life, making them even desert their young ones.

The use of chemical-based dispersants in cleaning up the oil spill instead of biodegradable options like Oil Gone Easy S-200 has also proved lethal. The oil that reaches the shore affects planktons and other organisms, depriving sea creatures of their food, which in turn disturbs the food web.

Popularity: 12% [?]

For the first ever commercial oil spill that one can recall is the incident when the tanker Torrey Canyon ran aground off Cornwall on March 18, 1967 in the United Kingdom spilling 80,000 tones (119,000 barrels) of crude. Though this oil spill happened way back in 1967 the scenario today is also pretty much the same. Though the recent Gulf oil spill and the Singapore tanker oil spill may not entirely be caused by the vessels, it just calls our attention to the very notable fact, pollution from vessels.

According to a report released in 1980, of the 3.2 million tonnes of oil released into the ocean, almost half of it was from vessels. This estimation will help you get an idea on how grave this issue is. Accidental oil spills from tankers and commercial vessels, deliberate or operational discharges from commercial vessels, grounded and abandoned vessels are some of the most common.

Vessels also play a significant role in increasing global warming as over 90 percent of the global trade is carried through ships. It is estimated that ships in particular would be accountable for about 40% of the air pollution over land in addition to the 3.5% to 4% of all climate change emissions.

Discharge of ballast water when loading and unloading of cargo near the port is a major reason for pollution near the coasts. Apart from contaminating the sea with tar balls the ballast water also threatens ecology by introducing foreign species of organisms into the water. The discharged water also contains human effluents which when released can cause serious damage to the environment.

One simple method that can minimize marine pollution to a great extent is the usage of eco-friendly bioremediation product like Oil Gone Easy S-200 to clean the oily bilge water and immediate oil spill remediation in case of accidental oil spills.

Popularity: 15% [?]

As the whole world is busy thinking of a solution to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, here comes the Singapore oil spill. Though not as disastrous as the Gulf Oil spill, it has equally raised concerns regarding our take on the bendable rules and regulations.

The collision of an oil tanker and the bulk carrier in the deep waters between Singapore and Malaysia has raised questions about the oil transportation norms. In Singapore oil spill, the sea has been polluted with almost 5000 tons of crude oil, resulting in the closure of 4.3 miles of the coastline.

As the scale of pollution was minor, the oil spill cleanup operations measures seem to have worked here. The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority who took up the daunting task of cleaning up oil spill now claim that the waters at Changi and the East Coast have “returned to normal.”

For oil spill cleanup, they incorporated several methods. They tried to contain the oil spill by sucking up the spilled oil in the empty containers of MT Bunga Kelana 3. The Pengerang waters were also safeguarded with three boats as a safety measure. The Malaysian and the Singapore water ways were also put under constant watch such that no new boats enter the oil spill area and further spread the pollution.

Around 20 vessels and 200 personnel were employed for oil spill cleanup. For oil spill containment, booms are also lined up near the oil tanker. And most of all, they used biodegradable cleaners to break up the oil. The warm temperature of the tropics seems to have worked for dispersal of oil.

The Government of Singapore and Malaysia has undoubtedly done a good job using biodegradable dispersants. It’s not too late for BP, who still appears to be at loss about dealing with the oil spill cleanup. It would be a wise decision to go in for biodegradable products like Oil Gone Easy S-200.

Popularity: 15% [?]

It is generally erroneously believed by nearly all that big tanker oil spills are the major contributor to the oil pollution that occur in the world’s oceans. But, did you know that spills resulting from engine oil changes on land, leak nearly nine times the amount of oil spilled from tankers into the sea?

While global awareness is concentrated more on the devastating marine oil spills, including the very recent spill that happened in Gulf of Mexico, less attention – indeed practically no attention is paid to the deleterious effects of small spills.

From the environmental experts’ perspective, mini oil spills that occur on land contribute a considerable percentage to the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants that reach the oceans. Though unbelievable, it is a fact that the mini spills that occur on land in North America over a period of eight months, when put together, create a volume of oil that almost equalizes with the Alaskan Exxon Valdez spill that happened in 1989. Can you guess the exact volume of oil? It is something you would never have dreamed of. Yes, it is an astonishing 10.8 million gallons or 250,000 barrels of petroleum.

The land-based oil spills that occur accidentally, which we actually tend to ignore are actually the ones that require special attention. It is solely because these oil pollutants reach the water bodies when it rains. A research by the National Research Council states that, even an oil spill as small as five quarts can degrade the quality of millions of gallons of water.

With such devastating effects, this problem definitely calls for a timely solution. To safeguard our environment from the threat posed from such spills and oil stains on pavement a lot depends on us. For instance, if there are any accidental spills at home, immediate remediation or removing oil stains using eco-friendly products, such as Oil Gone Easy S-200 should be initiated. By adopting such eco-friendly methods of effective oil stain removal, you’ll reduce the chances of this environmental hazard to a great extent.

Popularity: 15% [?]

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew up on April 20th 2010 making the Gulf of Mexico inhabitable. This recent oil spill is the courtesy of BP who obviously unwilling to take the blame. Calling this an oil spill would definitely be a soft said word owing to the gallons of oil this exploded drilling platform belches out every day.

The safety equipment that includes a blowout preventer, which is nothing but a large pile of seafloor shut-off valves that apparently seemed to have failed. One of the reasons may be the fact that the BP well failed to have any remote-control or acoustically-activated backup blowout preventer switch, which could be used in case of an emergency that required a rig to be evacuated.

Although BP has claimed to pay to cleanup this colossal wreck in the Gulf of Mexico, the after effects of this oil spill are sure above human conclusions. The toxic components of the oil spill have already become a threat to the marine life, not to mention the loss of revenue as well. As feared if the oil manages to reach the beaches, tourism, especially Florida tourism stands the risk of losing billions of dollars from tourism.

Keeping in view the 1,300 miles of Alaska coastline in 1989, it would not be wrong to say that the oil washing onto land in Gulf of Mexico estuaries would not be easy to cleanup. Also the ill-effects associated the use of harmful dispersants used for oil spill containment tend to do more harm than good. Hence several environment contractors are promoting the use of an environmentally-friendly product called Oil Gone Easy S-200 for oil spill cleanup.

Even if in future the oil spill disaster contained miraculously at some point of time, it is certainly going to take a life time for the eco-system to cope with it and come back to its original form.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Storm water pollution is undoubtedly a serious cause of concern. But very few of us realize that we contribute to this kind of pollution. There are several factors, such as tipping of litter, chemical pollution, and natural pollution that lead to storm water pollution. It is the duty of each one of us to take measures to keep our waters free from pollution.

Prevention of storm water pollution can be kicked off right from your garage. The most common of all pollutants that pollute storm water is oil spills and oil leaks. It is vital that you check your car or bike, machinery and other oil run equipment for leaks or oil spills often.

Also ensure that you avoid the use of harmful chemicals or detergents for cleaning up oil spill from your garage. Instead use environmentally friendly oil spill cleaners to remove oil spills from the driveway. Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200, an eco-friendly biodegradable product will help you with this tiring task of oil spill cleanup. Used oil or fluids can be recycled. So avoid dumping into trash or in the storm water drain.

When it comes to your lawn and garden, you have to be careful with the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that you use. Recycling your yard waste and avoiding over watering your plants can help reduce storm water pollution to some extent.

While you begin with your home repair, it is better that you take care of the disposal of the construction residual. There are possibilities of spills and leakages of liquids and oils on the construction site. Making sure that the oil spills are cleaned up immediately is essential.

Storm water pollution by driveway oil spills and domestic fuel tank spills are increasingly high, thus efficient oil spill cleaner should always be at hand. Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200 is the perfect and safe solution to prevent the disastrous consequences of oil spills.

Popularity: 8% [?]

When we talk of urban pollution, our mind conjures images of toxic factory dumps and oil spills and leaks from industrial pipes. However, according to studies, that may not be the main cause of water pollution. It’s the little things that occur in routine and daily public life that really contribute to pollution. This is called nonpoint source pollution. When rainfall, snowmelt, or irrigation water flows across public areas, residential spaces such as garages and parking lots, and forests, the water picks up several contaminants and pollutants.

Nonpoint source pollutants comprise of soil particles and sediments, oil and grease molecules, pesticides, heavy metals constituents, and toxic chemicals. Surprisingly, all these substances could be the result of simple, careless actions of people. Improper disposal of batteries, overfilling your gas tank, and painting a house without minding the usage of harmful paints and varnishes can all lead to nonpoint source pollution due to surface water runoff.

You could certainly make a difference by avoiding these mistakes. Also, you could do your bit for the environment by putting in that additional effort. You can make use of a bio-degradable product such as the Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200. This product helps in oil stain removal and cleans up driveway oil stains and concrete oil stains.

In addition to that, this oil stain remover is not harmful to have around children and pets as well. You can also contribute to a safer marine environment by safely disposing of your boat’s bilge. Here again, the Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 comes to your aid. Just a bottle is enough to eliminate bilge oil for up to two months! It acts as an oil absorbent and prevents your boat from discharging the contaminated fuel-water mixture into the waters. Also, you can do small things such as making use of tarps to catch any spillage of paint or varnish during a paint job and using natural and environment-friendly products for washing your car.

While calamities such as unintentional oil spills cannot be avoided, nonpoint source pollution is an issue that is within your control and can be effectively addressed.

Popularity: 7% [?]