Oil Spill Blog

Garage Cleaning

Spring is approaching and, it’s time to start spring cleaning your house. Not just the inside your house, you must pay equal attention while cleaning your garden, pavement, and garage too. Oil stain removal should top the list of things to do while cleaning your garage. And, if you start a garage cleanup without deciding what to do and what not to do, then it’s going to be really tedious.

Our cars, if in a bad state, cause oil spills on the garage floor making it slippery and risky to walk on. Using detergents or any other chemicals for oil stain removal products to get rid of oil spills may seem to be promising. But, they only add fuel to the fire! They just cause oil dispersion, and don’t remove the oil entirely. Your garage floor remains slippery as always. So, use eco friendly products like Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200 that remove oil entirely, causing no harm at all. To your convenience, this green oil spill remover is available in 5 gallon pails.

When we talk about garage cleaning, most of us tend to focus only on cleaning the floor. However, the garage shelves also need cleaning and organizing. Apart from automobiles, a garage is also a storage place for garden tools and most of our cleaning equipments. We store lubricant cans, paints, and other oily canisters in the garage. As all these stuff contribute its fair share in spilling oil, it’s very crucial to employ oil stain removal strategies in garage racks also.

Start by eliminating the useless clutter that is lying around your garage for a long time and stash them into the bin. Take proper care while disposing harmful materials like plastic or chemicals. Then, take out all the things from the garage and clean it up with Oil Gone Easy S-200 that is available in 5 gallon pails. It’s very simple. Sprinkle this green product on the oil spilt area, and leave it undisturbed. The oil spill disappears!

After cleaning, arrange the things properly; all garden tools in one place, all lubricating stuff in one place, and all cleaning equipments in one place. You can also paint your garage door and walls to give a fresh look. Your garage is now neatly set and free of oil spills!

Popularity: 2% [?]

It is nothing new that crude oil companies rely on a large network of pipelines to get oil from one place to another. These pipes stretch for miles on end and pass through sea-beds, plains, and high mountains. And the major menace afflicting the companies is losses due to oil leakages encountered in the pipelines.

So what paves the way for these devastating pipe leaks? Well, most of these oil leakages are due to corrosion, but in some cases other natural causes may also be to blame. Wondering why do the companies wait until the pipes corrode? Here is the answer! It’s been 50 – 60 years since majority of the oil pipelines were laid. Since then, not much of maintenance has been done on these pipes, causing corrosion at many places and thereby resulting in crude oil leakages!

Now, let’s take a closer look at how these distressing oil leaks can be prevented! One of the most effective ways with which oil leaks can be prevented is by carrying out regular oil pipe line cleaning. The debris that gets deposited in the pipeline, in particular, calls for a tougher action. Thanks to the advancement in technology! We are currently provided with two approaches to this end – mechanical cleaning and advanced chemical cleaning.

Mechanical oil pipe line cleaning involves specially designed equipment, called “pigs”, to move inside the pipelines and clean up the deposits. These “pigs” cut and swab through the debris and clear the pipeline completely. But, this process requires lot of patience, time, and of course attention! So, the industry is now moving on to advanced chemical cleaning, wherein the “pigs” are used in conjunction with chemical oil spill cleaners, allowing the debris to be cleared in a much shorter time.

Although advanced chemical cleaning is an effective and efficient way of oil pipeline cleaning, these chemicals cause harm to our environment as they are non biodegradable. So, the best way to clean pipeline without causing any harm to the environment would be, using eco friendly products. The Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 is one such effective biodegradable oil remover, which not just removes oil spills effectively, but is also safe on Mother Nature. With Marine S-200, even the oil companies can now their share in safeguarding the environment and minimizing the chances of another Canadian oil spill.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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: 3% [?]

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.

Popularity: 3% [?]

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.

Popularity: 4% [?]

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: 5% [?]

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: 7% [?]

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.

Popularity: 7% [?]

People associated with commercial facilities, such as garages, marinas, refineries, or construction sites will definitely accept the fact that cleaning up the facilities of the dirt, grime, and oil accumulated can be very daunting. Hence, most of them tend to make use of strong chemical cleaning agents to maintain the commercial spaces.

But very few realize the ill-effects associated with such abrasive cleaning products. Not only are these harsh commercial cleaning products cleaning agents extremely harmful to the environment, but they pose significant health risks, such as eye, skin and respiratory irritation and may also cause allergic reactions as well.

The impact of these harsh commercial cleaning products on the cleaning personnel is also greater. Since they are exposed to toxic chemicals for a longer time, they are more prone to serious chronic illnesses, including cancer, neurological, or even reproductive disorders.

One solution that ensures effective cleaning without any side-effects is the use of green cleaning products. In the attempt to “Go Green,” most industries just think of practices, such as recycling or minimizing the use of electricity. The idea of using green cleaners over toxic commercial cleaning products strikes only a few. This small change of practice will in fact make a large difference.

For instance, for cleaning up oil spills in a refinery, a gas station, or a rail yard where the contamination from oil spills is large, it would be a great idea to incorporate an effective eco-friendly oil spill cleaner, such Oil Gone Easy S-200. This product works using the EPA certified bioremediation technology, which breaks down the oil and converts it into water and carbon dioxide. Hence it is perfectly safe on the environment and humans as well.

Hence, commercial cleaning could be achieved even better with the use of green cleaning products.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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.

Popularity: 6% [?]