Hazmat Response Team Ensures Safe and Fully Compliant Clean up

Wednesday, 02 December 2009 03:38

On 23 October a vehicle, transporting cooking oil and soap became engulfed in flames on the N2 in Kokstad.

Spilltech was alerted and a fully equipped Hazmat response team was dispatched to site immediately. On arrival it was noted that the vehicle had burnt out completely, leaving all the diesel and oil as well as the cooking oil product it was transporting, spilled over the surface of the road and down into the fields alongside the highway.

The Spilltech Hazmat response team noticed that various storm water culverts were in close proximity to the spill site and realized that it was of paramount importance to block these culverts and prevent the spill from running into the storm water system. BIOZORB booms were used to do this.

Hazmat Team uses Polypropylene Booms

By the time the Hazmat team arrived, cooking oil had already reached a nearby he stream. Polypropylene booms were placed into the stream to absorb spill.

Safe Disposal of Waste

Once the cleanup on site was completed, several skips of waste were removed and safely disposed of in line with regulations at the necessary landfill sites.

Since then a geohydrolygist has been to the site and done a full investigation. Spilltech's spill clean-up was ruled as fully compliant. 

Tanker Spill Cleanup near Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal

Monday, 23 November 2009 06:07

A triple axel tanker transporting Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) was in an accident on the N2 near Hluhluwe on 25 September 2009. The solvent it was carrying was toxic, explosive, and flammable.

24 Hour Spill Response

Spilltech’s 24 Hour Spill Response team responded immediately and all staff entering the scene donned full bunker gear as well as breathing apparatus because of the toxic and flammable nature of the spill.

When the Spilltech Team, led by Gerald Carmody arrived at the scene, the tanker was at a 45-degree angle in a drain.

BIOZORB Products

They immediately assessed the situation and applied BIOZORB to the affected area as it not only absorbs the spilled product, it also suppresses vapours.  An explosive and flammable spill on the side of a busy public highway needs to have the danger of an explosion and fire removed as fast as possible.

BIOZORB booms were placed in the drain to prevent the solvent and diesel from entering the public water system.

As soon as the immediate danger from the spill was contained, the Spilltech team carefully transferred all the MEK from the damaged tanker to a second tanker supplied by the customer.

Dug Up Contaminated Soil

Because the grassy area next to the highway was heavily contaminated with diesel. A team was set up to dig up and bag the contaminated soil. Trenches were also dug and filled with BIOZORB to absorb any diesel that had run through.

To ensure that the clean up was successful, augers were used to make monitoring holes which were checked on numerous occasions after the clean up was completed.

Full Rehabilitation of Contaminated Area

A site meeting was held with representatives from the Department of Water and Forestry as well as a leading Environmental company. Samples from site were tested and was concluded that Spilltech had rehabilitated the area to full extent and had removed as well as disposed of all contaminants.

Local authorities visited the site numerous times, to ensure the clean up was done to  comply with Governmental standards.

Certificate of Recognition from Sasol

SASOL, who were notified of the incident came down to Durban and issued Spilltech with a certificate of recognition for outstanding work.

Container Explosion and Glucose Spill Cleanup

Monday, 23 November 2009 05:42

A fuel additive container exploded on 25 October 2009 in an industrial area near Durban and set fire to numerous other containers - the majority containing glucose.

Protecting the Wetlands

Containment was vital as the area’s storm water drains were in close proximity with a nature reserve and a wetland system. Biozorb booms and and loose fibre was used to remove the oil/hydrocarbons that were spilt from the run off water. The immediate danger of the spill was that if glucose entered the storm water system and/ or the wetlands in the area, the glucose would de- oxygenate the water, leaving it as a hazard to the wildlife in the wetlands as well the community.

Spilltech Called In

Spilltech were called in to clean up, contain, and rehabilitate and to ensure that the explosion site and spill area s are glucose free.
The Spilltech team worked around the clock for just under a month using various pumps to clean out the drains and swamp area.  Various Biozorb booms and cushions were immediately used to absorb the toxic spill. BIOZORB is revolutionary oil and hydrocarbon absorbent made from premium Canadian sphagnum peat moss, and was highly effective in these circumstances that called for quick, effective, environmental friendly clean up.

Successful Initial Clean-up

Once the initial clean up was successfully completed the Spilltech team of spill responders have worked to ensure that the explosion site has been rehabilitated to the way it was before the incident.

As an added precaution, to ensure that no glucose enters the water system, the paving of the depot where the explosion occurred was high pressure cleaned using various non- hazardous chemicals to de- grease the area.

High Pressure Cleaning

• Salvageable burnt containers were pumped out and high pressure and cleaned with biological cleaners.
• All run off from the high pressure cleaning was pumped into tubes and taken for waste disposal.
• All contaminated soil that had been removed and bagged from site, was also taken for disposal at a H:h waste disposal facility.
• Spilltech has contracted SRK consulting engineers and scientists to conduct soil and ground water monitoring before asking the Department of Water Affairs to sign the site off.

Lin Gravelet Blondin from Water Lily Consulting was contracted by Spilltech to handle the wastewater and waste and his 35 years experience were invaluable to the overall handling of the incident.  Water Lily consulting was also involved in the monitoring.

Spilltech has contracted Sivest to monitor the wetland area and advise on remediation measures. A total of four audits over a two month period will be conducted. Auditing will involve assessment of the vegetation species composition and health. As vegetation is considered to react quickly to either positive or negative environmental conditions it can be used as a good indicator of habitat change as a result of external influences.  
 
Products used to contain and absorb the spilled product:

BIOZORB fibre, BIOZORB booms, polypropylene retention booms. Lemsolv and OT8 were the biological cleaners used on the site.

BRAND NEW - MARINE SPILL KIT

Wednesday, 11 November 2009 16:13

MARINE OIL SPILL KIT (Ref. STMAR)

Contents:  10x Oil Absorbent Pads; 1x 1.2m Oil Absorbent Sock; 1x Oil Absorbent Cushion;  Gloves & Dust Mask; 1x Heavy Duty Disposal Bag & Tie; 1x Instruction Sheet. 

SPECIAL PRICE   ZAR350-00   US$45-00