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!

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Most of us fail to realize that the effort to foster pollution prevention should begin right in our homes! A small action of ours in this regard can bring about a real positive difference. So how can you go about preventing pollution in your home? Here are some areas that you need to focus on to have a clean home and a cleaner environment.

Reduce waste

The first step in pollution prevention at home is to cut down on the waste that is being created. A simple key to this approach is to go for reusable products, such as rechargeable batteries, paper towels, and cloth bags. Rather than merely disposing yard and kitchen waste into the trash bins, you can think of composting it.

Conserve Energy & Water

Here are a few tips:
1. Look for energy efficient appliances. Also, proper maintenance is required to improve the energy efficiency of your appliances.
2. Ensure to keep a constant check on your car’s emission.
3. Never forget to turn off the lights while leaving your room.
4. Last but not least, take some effort to preserve our precious resource – water! Remember to turn the tap off when not in use.

Use Environmentally-friendly Products

It’s good for you as well as for the planet, if you opt for eco-friendly household products. For instance, you can choose to use baking soda and water to clean your clothes rather than using bleach. If you change your own engine oil see to that you recycle the used oil at a nearby service station. In case, there is an oil spill, use eco-friendly products such as Oil Gone Easy S-200 to cleanup oil spill in a safe way without the use of chemicals.

Proper Disposal of Hazardous Wastes

Disposal of toxic products such as mercury from thermometers and paints, solvents, and batteries needs some special attention. You can inquire a local government environment official and find out the nearest hazardous waste disposal site for proper disposal of the waste.

Just keep it in your mind to follow these simple tips that can aid in pollution prevention to a great extent!

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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.

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Whenever there is a traffic incident, the safety of responders, victims of the incident, motorists, and the environment from the hazardous material spilt has to be the pressing concern. But why is traffic incident management and managing hazardous material spills so important? It’s simply because, by properly managing hazardous material spills, you will not only improve the safety of the responding personnel, but also minimize the possibilities of a secondary crash!

So as a responder what should you do as soon as you come across a traffic incident? You should first begin assessing the field conditions so as to determine what kind of actions would be required. It is also absolutely essential that you check the incident location for the presence of any potentially harmful materials. Do you think just identifying is sufficient? Definitely no! Once you identify that there is an oil spill or any other hazardous spill, you should immediately look at the alleviation measures to remove the possible threat. You might come across anything from vehicle fluids to cargo contents that are being transported.

The key to successfully remove a hazardous spill is to acquire adequate knowledge about the safety, clean-up, and disposal guidelines. Knowing these guidelines would help eradicate the threat effectively. But, beware of any water sources that may be nearby the area of incidence. Responders should also make a note of the vehicle type or the labeling as they would help the personnel to determine the amount and type of the material spill. In case it’s a cargo oil spill, then the responders can make use of the hazardous material placards to assess the incident.

Larger oil spills or engine fluids are exempted by few states, provided the oil spill has been contained on the pavement. For effective oil spill cleanup, responders can resort to environmental friendly solutions, such as Oil Gone Easy S-200. Oil Gone Easy S-200 acts as a bioremediation accelerator and an agglomerator, which bonds to oil and breaks it into water and carbon dioxide.

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Hurricanes are giant, free-wheeling tropical storms with a wind speed of over 160 miles. Responsible for more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain on a single day, hurricanes can possibly flood a region with a single hit.

The Alex Hurricane has kick started the official hurricane season in the United States. With the oil spill cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico still under progress, environmentalists fear that hurricane Alex might push the oil spill to other parts of the coast. On the other hand, a few believe that the hurricane might help oil spill dispersal.

Generally, a hurricane will span around 200-300 miles, which is greater than the current size of the oil spill. Therefore, the hurricane’s impact on the oil spill will be minimal but the movement of the hurricane will influence the spread of oil. The storms might carry oil near the shore along with the contaminated debris from the Deepwater Horizon.

The good news is that powerful hurricane winds can tear into the slick, turn it into globules of oil, and accelerate the biodegradation process. The oil-eating microbes can function more effectively on droplets of oil rather than a big pool of oil. In addition, when large sheets of oil are broken down they can be easily weathered by oxygen, which can change the properties of crude oil. The broken down oil globules evaporate at a faster rate from the water surface, aiding the oil spill cleanup.

The use of biodegradable dispersants like Oil Gone Easy S-200 in the cleanup operations would pave way for oil-eating microbes to function efficiently. The Alex hurricane could be a blessing in disguise, as powerful winds could help break up and disperse offshore oil, giving a boost to the stalled oil spill cleanup operations.

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The moment we come across an oil spill, one remedy that strikes our mind is the use of oil spill dispersants. Though we’re aware that these dispersants can help contain an oil spill, most of us don’t know its exact working mechanism. We don’t even know if they are a boon or bane. If you have the same doubts in your mind, then read on!

Pros:

Here are some advantages of using oil spill dispersants

• Oil spill dispersants change the chemical and physical properties of oil so that it mixes better with water.

• Oil spill dispersants when used efficiently can prove to be a effective method of oil spill containment.

Cons:

Though using dispersants may seem like a fair idea, it has several drawbacks

• First and foremost, once dispersants break down oil in the deep water, the oil gets to the top surface, which is then contained using booms. But, what makes their use not advisable is the fact that they cannot be used near the shore. If used, they might be even toxic than the oil itself. For instance, Corexit, the dispersant being used in the containment of the recent Gulf oil spill is a kerosene-based dispersant and can be considered hazardous. Also, EPA recommends the use of this dispersant only at depths of 75 meters or deeper.

• Dispersants can be effective only when used within 1 or 2 days after an oil spill, after which natural weathering makes the oil more complex to disperse.

• Dispersed oil also stands the risk of entering the food chain as there are chances of the oil being consumed by planktons.

• Viscous oil cannot be dispersed effectively using chemical dispersants since the oil may run off into the water even before the solvents can penetrate.

Since chemical oil spill dispersants’ cons overweigh pros, you can think of using eco-friendly cleaners, such as Oil Gone Easy S-200, which works using bioremediation technique, to cleanup oil spills.

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Granite being durable and long lasting has become a popular flooring option in many houses. Even though granite flooring is scratch and heat resistant, it requires proper maintenance to keep it looking as shiny as it was at the time of purchase.

No matter how careful you are, spills on your granite flooring are unavoidable. Here are some useful tips to handle different spills on your granite floor:

• Can you even imagine a mark on your new elegant granite floor? Definitely not! Laying down a protective mat on your granite flooring that is exposed to sand or any gritty soils may considerably reduce the chances of getting a mark. Also, instead of using hard brooms and vacuums to remove the gritty soil, try mopping the floor with clean water.

• Food spills on the granite countertops in the kitchen are quite a normal scenario in every household. Cleaning can be as simple as just removing the remaining food with the help of a spoon, drying up the spilt area with a white cloth, spraying with a stone cleanser, and wiping it dry.

• One more spill that is very common in the kitchen is oil spill. Cooking oil and butter mainly contribute to this problem. Oil spill clean up on countertops is a daunting task. The spills can turn into oil stains if they are not cleaned immediately with appropriate cleaning materials. Cleaning up a granite oil stain is easier than before with Oil Gone Easy S-200. This product works as a bioremediation accelerator and agglomerator. It bonds to the oil and breaks it down into water and carbon dioxide, thus cleaning the oil stains completely.

Preventing oil spills and oil stains on the granite floor is a good option, but it is not possible all the time. So, be prepared to tackle it with Oil Gone Easy S-200.

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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.

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The recent oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico has caught everyone’s attention around the globe. With the situation getting worse by the day creating, it has raised concern from everywhere. The catastrophe began with the sinking of the rig followed by the explosion. Later, it was discovered that there were two leaks which were actually leaking 5,000 barrels of oil per day greatly threatening the ecosystem as well as the livelihood of those who depend on the marine resources.

Have you ever wondered as to how the crew goes about containing and cleaning an oil spill of such high volume? There are various factors, such the spontaneous response of the crew, the intensity of oil spill, the techniques used in oil spill cleanup, and weather conditions, which affect the whole process.

In case of any oil spill, the containment and skimming method for oil spill cleanup greatly depends on how early the crew manages to reach the site. Use oil spill booms to prevent the oil from spreading and enable easy skimming of oil with the help of boats is one method used. These orange booms work as a barrier and stop the oil from spreading. But these booms often prove futile during unfavorable weather conditions.

Any new inventions, such as waste hair balls, straw gobs, and dried mushroom-bit, which may seem innovative and effective, will not help in immediate recovery as most of them are not approved by the government and they cannot meet the immediate logistic needs as well. Dispersants are also used as an oil spill remediation method. But the drawback with such dispersants is that most of them are kerosene-based and hence toxic.

Of all the techniques, bioremediation can be termed as the most reliable and safe method for oil spill cleanup. Since water and air are warmer throughout the year in the Gulf of Mexico, it will only speed the bioremediation process.

One such EPA-approved bioremediation product that not only aids in oil spill containment, but also in removing oil stains from clothes, shoes, boat, and land, is Oil Gone Easy S-200.

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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.

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