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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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 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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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.

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It is a known fact that the world’s oceans cover more than 70% of our planet’s surface. But what very few of us realize is that these precious resources are under catastrophic threat from several sources, including industrial, agricultural, and human activities. In view of showing appreciation to this precious resource of ours, for the first time in 1992, the Canadian government came up with the idea of World Oceans Day at the Earth Summit in Rio.

Since 1992, many countries across the globe have joined hands to celebrate the World Oceans Day on June 8th every year. The theme of this day “Our Oceans, Our Responsibility” is in itself an eye-opener of sorts. It is a call to all of us to do our bit for protecting the oceans.

You too can take part in World Oceans Day and contribute to the noble mission of protecting the oceans. Just keep in mind some of these tips and you for sure would have made a great difference!

• Equip your boats with proper bilge discharge options and avoid dumping oily bilge water into the sea.

• Be very careful while changing and refueling oil in your boat and prevent any accidental oil spills.

• For bilge cleaning and accidental oil spill cleanup use of eco-friendly cleaners, such as Oil Gone Marine S-200 would be the best bet. S-200 can be the safest method you can think of, for it uses bioremediation technology to break down the oil and convert it into carbon dioxide and water.

• Even in your garage or anywhere in your home, avoid the use of toxic chemicals and detergents to remove oil spills or leaks from. Instead, consider using green products, such as Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200.

• Minimize the use of pesticides and fertilizers in your garden and ensure proper disposal of construction residual thereby reduce pollution from storm water runoff.

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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.

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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.

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It can be really frustrating when your car leaves oily stains on the driveway. Not only do these oil stains look unsightly, but they can also pose a hazard to people and the environment. Engine oil leaks are something that cannot be taken lightly. Even though they may seem small, they are likely to affect your car, your wallet, as well as the environment.

Old cars are subject to engine oil leakage more often than the usual. A regular check on the vehicle condition is the best way to prevent oil spills. Forgetting to replace the oil drain plug or not making it tight enough after an oil change are some of the common causes of engine oil leaks. It is advisable to take your vehicle to the mechanic as early as possible to avoid further deterioration. Regular maintenance of cars is also called for to ensure that you don’t have the task of oil stain removal at hand.

Despite all the measures, if engine oil leaks do occur then don’t panic you have a safe and effective solution, Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200 at hand. It can be a daunting task to remove oil stains from the driveway and recreate the old look. Postponing the cleaning is as bad as the spill itself. The more it is procrastinated the harder it becomes to clean.

As it is engine oil spills are hazardous to environment, but the process of cleaning using chemical substances may prove more harmful than the spill itself. But Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200 is one eco-friendly product that helps effective oil spill cleanup without causing any further harm. This product works virtually on any surface, including concrete, asphalt, or cement and just has to left on the stain and requires no further cleaning or washing. It is completely biodegradable hence completely safe for your family.

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