Saturday, 11 April 2015

The Importance Of Spill Containment Berms At Pollution Sites

By Joanna Walsh


The mind boggles at the vast quantities of poisons, dangerous chemicals and potentially harmful waste products that are in circulation every day. It is no surprise that there is an increase in accidents and that spillages have become a common occurrence. There are even recorded cases of unscrupulous operators that dump their toxins illegally. Such incidents can cause untold harm. At least, by using spill containment berms, for example, the authorities are able to limit the area affected by the incident.

Any spillage of harmful chemicals constitutes a possible emergency but the first priority is and should always be to first do everything possible to contain the affected area. This is where equipment such as berms are so valuable. They can make sure that the pollution does not spread and it can give cleaning teams time to plan a proper cleaning up strategy.

It is not as if nothing is being done about the problem of toxic spills. No, much research have been conducted. There are several highly efficient agents that can absorb or neutralize toxic substances. The problem is twofold, however. These agents are very expensive and they do not work with all pollutants. In addition, the absorption or neutralizing process often takes time, and in this time damage is done to the environment.

The international environmental community has been stunned by the recent development of a new artificial agent that not only absorbs a large number of toxins but that is also able to transform it into a brand new product that is harmless. Best of all, this new product is useful. It can be sold to contractors responsible for preparing road surfaces and it is even used in the manufacturing of whole lot of rubber products.

The cost and necessity for experienced and specially trained personnel to deal with spilled toxins and other pollutants makes it impossible to react to all incidents. This is why the authorities have no choice other than to prioritize. Pollution in highly populated areas, wildlife sanctuaries and places of national interest receive the highest priority. Spillages in remote areas and in rough seas are often simply ignored.

The management of spillages are governed by legislation, but this legislation is, according to many experts, vague and difficult to enforce. Environmental agencies want governments to enact laws that will compel those that cause spillages to carry the cost of cleaning up pollution, to implement responsible policies regarding the handling of dangerous materials and to train and equip teams to deal with emergencies.

The cost of cleaning up spillages is not limited to the cost of the actual cleaning up operation. In many cases, the long term cost is almost incalculable. In some cases the natural environment can take many years to recover. There have been cases of generations of people suffering health problems from an incident that occurred years ago and that caused genetic aberrations resulting in horrible human suffering.

Humans have been neglecting their home planet for many years. Mother Earth cannot cope with the abuse any longer. Humans spill and they do jot care. At the very least, every operator dealing with potentially harmful substances should have equipment that can limit the damage immediately.




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