U.S. Army to turn gulf oil slick into asphalt

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Examiner

The latest idea to prevent the slick caused by the explosion on the BP rig last month from reaching land is certainly ingenious. It consists of using a chemical formula called C.I. Agent that, when added to oil, turns it into a gelatinous compound that can then be used to make asphalt.

The U.S. Army, which is coordinating the clean-up, has put up Hesco baskets filled with the C.I. Agent powder in the water along the northwest shore of the island. They will be filled with the powder and then, when the slick reaches the baskets, turn the oil into gelatin.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-42287-Chicago-Green-Technology-Examiner~y2010m5d15-US-Army-to-turn-gulf-oil-slick-into-asphalt

[Journeyman]

1. You pave paradise, put up a parking lot. . .

Why am I thinking "Ice-9"?

[IcyPeas]

18. ohmygowad. I read cat's cradle (vonnegut). it was really good !!!!

I never thought of comparing Ice-9 to the oil gusher but it's just as scary. .. especially if National Geographic is correct in saying it could gush for a year.

[Go2Peace]

2. Could be onto something here?

What if there were something that could be combined with the oil that would make it solidify? That might be less harmful in the long run than dispersed throughout the ocean's bottom.

[lunatica]

3. The end of the article sounds very promising

If successful, the resulting rubbery polymer can then be deployed either in landfill, or re-used to make all sorts of products, from disposable cups, through condoms and glues.

Twelve years in development, C.I. Agent has been used successfully as an aid to cleaning up oil leaks, but it's unproven on a disaster of this scale.

Parker claims the chemical is environmentally friendly--it's unclear whether the same can be said for Corexit, the EPA-approved chemical being used in the cleanup already.

[Mark D.]

4. C.I.Agent? CIA?

When I first saw those words I thought it was a joke. I actually hope this works. But imagine if a dozen other nations, maybe even just those also involed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, had sizeable portions of their Navy, dispatched there, helping out. They could easily triple or quadruple the efforts on the surface to clean up. But they have priorities. There are 'terra' in other nations they need to combat. Right.

[Captain Hilts]

5. It's a crazy idea, but it just might work....nt

[dipsydoodle]

8. Not all that crazy

It's what done in Europe. I mentioned it about a week ago.

[notesdev]

6. Earth First!

[lunatica]

7. The benefits according to the C. I. Agent web site

http://ciagent.info/home2/

BENEFITS OF C.I. AGENT

• Rapidly transform All hydrocarbons to a cohesive rubber like mass.

• It’s non- hazardous, non-corrosive, non –carcinogenic and environmentally friendly.

• C.I.Agent booms and products will capture sheen – polypropylene and other conventional methods products will not remove the sheen and leach.

• CI.Agent does NOT require special tools to clean up an oil spill. Current conventional methods use expensive equipment such as skimmers which are around 80% efficient and Vacuum Trucks that tend to pick up around 30 Litres of water for every litre of oil but charge all quantities.

• C.I. Agent Products also meet the approval for disposal under the classification of General Solid Waste having met all TCLP tests globally. (we still recommend checking with local councils)

• It does not leach the hydrocarbons or revert back to its original form.

• Hydrocarbons solidified from C.I.Agent are mostly RECYCLED and used in other products such as asphalt, plastics, and rubber or used as a solid fuel source in boilers and heaters.

• C.I.Agent will suppress volatile vapours up to 80% - polypropylene products concentrate the vapours increasing volatility.

• C.I.Agent Booms are RE-USEABLE until 100% absorbed. They can be rinsed and stored for multiple responses where most conventional booms and products are a one use only.

• C.I.Agent does NOT require a large labour force to clean up spills.

• C.I. Agent can effectively remove hydrocarbons from shoreline, rocks, mangroves, logs, pylons etc, by using high pressure water to agitate the polymer effectively polishing the hydrocarbon off the contaminated areas.

• C.I.Agent will solidify liquid hydrocarbons equally well in both FRESH WATER and SALT WATER.

• C.I.Agent will even solidify liquid hydrocarbons on ICE.

• C.I.Agent will not leach – polypropylene products will leach.

• C.I.Agent solidified hydrocarbons cannot sink.

• C.I. Agent has other new polymers being developed that solidify the water and not the hydrocarbons. (for removal of water in fuel tanks etc)

[lonestarnot]

17. Would you eat a fish or a crab or a lobster that ate mass quantities of C.I.A. ?

Can dolphins still do tricks after eating several lunches of C.I.A.?

[freebrew]

9. After all of the spills,

and ruined landscapes, dead animals, etc. why hasn't someone invented a 'dredge' that would collect the oil and pump it into a larger vessel. A big sucking device, from BP, how hard could that be?

[Brother Buzz]

12. The Dutch delivered two but US regs prevent them from doing their job

Two Dutch companies are on stand-by to help the Americans tackle an oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. The two companies use huge booms to sweep and suck the oil from the surface of the sea. The US authorities, however, have difficulties with the method they use.

What do the Dutch have that the Americans don’t when it comes to tackling oil spills at sea? “Skimmers,” answers Wierd Koops, chairman of the Dutch organisation for combating oil spills, Spill Response Group Holland.

The Americans don’t have spill response vessels with skimmers because their environment regulations do not allow it. With the Dutch method seawater is sucked up with the oil by the skimmer. The oil is stored in the tanker and the superfluous water is pumped overboard. But the water does contain some oil residue, and that is too much according to US environment regulations.

Wierd Koops thinks the US approach is nonsense, because otherwise you would have to store the surplus seawater in the tanks as well.

“We say no, you have to get as much oil as possible into the storage tanks and as little water as possible. So we pump the water, which contains drops of oil, back overboard.”

US regulations are contradictory, Mr Knoops stresses. Pumping water back into the sea with oil residue is not allowed. But you are allowed to combat the spill with chemicals so that the oil dissolves in the seawater. In both cases, the dissolved oil is naturally broken down quite quickly.

It is possible the Americans will opt for the Dutch method as the damage the oil spill could cause to the mud flats and salt marshes along the coast is much worse, warns Wetland expert Hans Revier.

“You have to make sure you clear up the oil at sea. As soon as the oil reaches the mud flats and salt marshes, it is too late. The only thing you can do then is dig it up. But then the solution is worse than the problem.”

<more>

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch-oil-spill-response-team-standby-us-oil-disaster

[dipsydoodle]

14. If you wonder why we need such things in Europe,

broadly speaking , its tanker accidents in the North Sea, English Channel etc which would otherwise decimate our beaches. All the USA needs to decide is what's most important.

[Brother Buzz]

15. I fully understand Europe's need and commitment

What bothers me is why we don't avail ourselves of these ships. Only a small percent of the oil is cast back into the sea, yet I'm of the opinion that even fifty percent of everything trumps one hundred percent of nothing every time.

[RC]

19. I can tell you what we have that the Dutch don't have.

Republicans. Deregulating Republicans!
Why is it that we almost never seem have what we need to handle a disaster, but at least some other countries do have it and are willing to help, but we refuse their help?

[earcandle]

10. cool! looks like they got their thinking caps on....!

[Warren Stupidity]

11. Can I drive from Florida direct to Venezuela?

That would be so cool! I'm warming up the Stretch Hummer Limo right now.

[AnArmyVeteran]

13. Wouldn't such a highway be so beautiful? Maybe we could just eliminate oceans completely!

I like to drive up beside Hummers just to see what their drivers look like. I'm pretty sure I could pick a Hummer driver out of a line up. I know, that might sound like I'm stereotyping people, but I bet I would be right most of the time. They seem to have 'that look'.

[Renew Deal]

16. Woo Hoo! I can drive from Tampa to Costa Rica!

:silly: