Why Fuel Clean-up & Spill Containment is Essential for a Resilient Community

An oil spill or fuel spill can cause havoc on the local environment and affect those who live within many of miles of the incident. Having measures in place for fuel clean-up and spill containment should be an essential part of any company dealing with fuel. There should be security and contingency measures in place to contain the spill within seconds of it occurring.

Unfortunately, many companies do not have employ these precautionary measures and fail to have "what if" systems in place. They only approach the problem when it is too late and after the fact. If companies took the time to actually deal with oil spill disasters before they happened, then the effects would less dastardly.

The Oil Spill That Changed Everything

The 2010 BP oil spill claimed lives of both humans and animals. The entire Gulf Coast was affected for several months (even years) due to the nearly 5 million barrels of oil that leaked into the ocean. Beaches and wildlife preserves were destroyed because it took the company 87 days to get in under control. If BP had had the proper precautions in store, it is possible the oil spill would not have entered the record books as the largest in history.

People who lived along the Gulf of Mexico were forced to risk their health and jobs. Tourist communities lost millions of dollars because beaches were full of black oil. Animals lost their lives as they fought the spreading black mass. Even humans suffered from complicated health issues that arose from infected seafood or contaminated water. BP is still paying court costs to those affected three years later. If anything, this should be a vital lesson and reason why companies need to have a plan in place.

What Can Fuel-Based Companies Do?

Precautionary measures and preventative maintenance can ultimately make a difference when it comes to minimizing risks of hazardous materials entering the eco system. As fuel-based business, something as simple as fuel tank cleaning and ensuring fuel supply is regularly maintained can help keep things in check. Specialists in fuel recycling, polishing, and tank maintenance can help fuel-based businesses maintain a more sustainable operation.

Many fuel-based storage and transport systems break-down due poor quality fuel. This can promote more rapid degradation of fuel tanks as well as poor quality fuel supply. As part of more comprehensive fuel tank maintenance plan, sampling the contents is important to maintain adequate qualities of fuel.

Creating Precautionary Measures & Preventative Maintenance 

Many fuel-based companies fail to establish any precautionary measures. By establishing more local regulations to this negligence, we can better ensure that the environment and society are healthier when oil spills occur. Preventative measures and quick actions are the only thing that can help.

In short, have a plan for containing fuel spills is the most important issue that needs to be fixed and addressed. Precautionary measures can only go so far if the oil continues to spill. Thus, fuel cleaning should be an industry that the government and private companies both continue to fund and research. The quicker an oil spill is taken care of than the better off everything will be in the long run.