Oil Spill Blog

It is quite a common sight to see the coastal waters being used for recreational boating and marinas. But unknown to many is the fact that these activities pose a catastrophic threat to the coastal waters.

Marinas, the places where the boats are maintained and operated, undoubtedly presents several possibilities of polluting the marine waters. Oil spills or oil leaks from boats, bottom paints, hull cleaners, sewage discharge, anti-freeze, and other similar effluents resulting from operation and maintenance activities are some of the common causes.

Though the amount of pollutants contributed by individual boats might seem negligible, it becomes considerable when the pollution caused by thousands of boaters and marinas are put together. Only when effective methods of managing this nonpoint source pollution are adopted, we can pave way for a safe environment.

To begin with, boaters should ensure that there is no discharge of sewage into recreational waters. While on boat, the use of U.S. Coast Guard-approved marine sanitation device (MSD) to contain the fecal matter and solid waste might help. By doing so, they minimize or ultimately eliminate the chances of degradation of water quality.

It is obligatory that the marinas are sited in areas where natural flushing encourages water circulation. As used motor oil that is contaminated with pollutants is not recyclable, it is better that marinas provide ecologically safe disposal sites.

Engine oil spills during boat maintenance or oil spills from overfilled tanks no matter how minor they are cannot be neglected. They definitely call for immediate remediation. To clean up such oil spills and prevent them from causing any further harm make use of a greener and safer method, such as Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 which is an agglomerator and bioremediation accelerator. This product can also be used as a bilge cleaning product.

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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.

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