Cleaning Up After an Oil Spill

In a Season Two episode of Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing,” an oil spill has one of the president’s senior advisors concerned. He asks one of the point people managing the spill, “How bad is this going to end up being?” Her response includes the dare, “You know, getting oil out of water? You try it sometime.” The fatigue in her voice underscores the reality that cleaning up oil is not an easy undertaking. Whether a spill occurs on land or in water, the complexities of cleanup operations cannot be overstated. As a result, if you, your company, or your municipality is facing an oil spill of any magnitude, it is important to connect with a company that has significant experience cleaning up oil specifically. This is especially true when trying to mitigate any liability on your behalf. People that come into your business or general location have the right to be safe and be surrounded by safe conditions. By not properly cleaning up spills, especially oil, you run the risk of being liable for injuries and damages as a result of falls or other personal injury accidents. 

Oil Spill Cleanup Basics

As an experienced oil spill cleanup firm – including Nielsen Environmental – can confirm, the methodology of cleaning up spilled oil varies depending on several factors. First, one must assess where the oil spilled. For obvious reasons, cleanup efforts are going to look different if motor oil and gasoline have spilled on a busy freeway than they would if oil has spilled into a body of water, into soil, or onto the floor of an industrial plant. Second, one must assess the volume of oil spilled. It is just as important to connect with experienced cleanup services if a relatively minor amount of oil has spilled onto your parking lot as it is if a major pipeline ruptures. However, the methods of attending to such spills will, again, obviously be different depending upon how much oil has actually spilled.

Next, the timing of the spill must be evaluated with care. If oil has been spilling into the ground or water for hours, the cleanup methods employed will be different than they would be if a gasoline line at a convenience store pump has ruptured only moments ago. Additionally, any unique considerations attached to the affected area in question must be taken under advisement. For example, if migratory birds are set to nest in the affected area within a matter of days, the management of the cleanup effort will look different than it might if a spill occurs at a minor airfield.  

Once a specialized oil cleanup firm has assessed the unique circumstances that you’re facing in regards to your spill, it will be able to craft a unique plan of action to efficiently and effectively address the spill in question.