Wednesday, Kevin Costner presented his oil spill solution to Congress and demonstrated his machine that recycles and separates oil from water with a 99.9% success rate. Actor, Kevin Costner said that he was inspired by the Exxon-Valdez oil spill in 1989 to come up with an idea that would safely separate oil from water, and over the years he has spent over $20 million on the machine and the patent for it.
“There's been some question as to why I'm here,” Costner told the House Energy and Environment subcommittee on Wednesday. “I want to assure everyone here it's not because I heard a voice in a cornfield,” Costner said joking about the Field of Dreams movie he made several years ago.
Costner said that over the years he has had a difficult time getting any interest in buying the machines. He said he performed for the Coast Guard, private companies, and the government, but no one was interested.
“My enthusiasm for the machine was met with apathy,” said Costner.
But in May, BP asked for 6 of Costner’s machines to be flown to the Gulf to be tested. And now BP has ordered 32 of the machines because they have an almost 100% success rate in separating oil from ocean water. The machines, marketed by Ocean Therapy Solutions take in the oily water and recycle the water. 32 machines will process about 6 million gallons of water each day.
Costner said “that as long as the oil industry profits from the sea, they have an obligation to protect it.” He went on to say that the cleaning devices “should be on every ship transporting oil, they should be on every derrick, they should be in every harbor.”
“There's 33 platforms that are shut down,” said Costner. “We can put Americans back to work and bring into the 21st century the technology of oil spill recovery.”
To see a video of how the device works, click here.
Last Friday, Obama cancelled his business trip to Asia and headed back down to the Gulf Coast. Thursday night, Obama told Larry King that he was "furious with the entire situation." For more on that story, click here.
To see incredible photos of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, click here.
To see photos taken recently of the oil spill that hit the Louisiana coastline and the wildlife it has affected, click here.
Recently, a new video of the gushing oil had many of the investigative teams calling BP untrustworthy because more oil was leaking from the well then they originally claimed. For more on that story, click here.
The state of Utah has 28 oil drilling companies throughout the state. Two years ago President Bush allowed oil drilling to be done near two national parks, much to the dismay of many Utah residents. According to a ABC News report Wednesday night, oil drilling isn’t considered safe in the US because the government has not ordered the same safety requirements in oil drilling that other countries require, and residents near the oil drilling are typically distraught.
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Sources: Houston Chronicle and CNN
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Comments
So, have 6 of these machines been cleaning the Gulf since May??
When will the next 32 be in operation?
Why only 32?
Why do we care about proofreading? Focus on something more important like the fact that Costner is doing something to help while others stand by and do nothing!
Waterworld 2! Nice positive piece of news.
Need to use Ecosphere Technologies machines too. Same idea and they have 24 units ready and waiting.
Whoa, Kevin Costner is another actor-genius, like Hedy Lamarr.
Enviro Voraxial (EVTN) has a faster oil/water separator than Costner’s
EVTN’s mid size machine can clean 500 gallons per minute (they also have a larger model that can clean 3,500 gallons per minute) vs. Costner’s machine that can clean ONLY 200 gallons per minute.
EVTN has been contacted by BP to be reviewed.
EVTN is already used by the US Navy, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and many others.
Finally some celebrity tries to do something! Thank you Mr. Costner
I am surprised they picked Costner's not! - it's publicity for BP. EVTN's separator is far better, faster and less expensive. see their site and you'll see.
www.evtn.com
Does anyone have any idea how much Transocean who owns and operates the rig, Cameron who made that failed blow-out preventer, Halliburton who was suppose to cement that well, paid so far for the clean up?? That's right, NIL -$0! and for BP? $1.3 Billion and they are the one vilified to death!
i sure bp figures out why the guy used salt water instead of cement like the law statess just another way to save a buck and now it will cost usa millons on millons to fix the problem wich will hurt all of usa in the long run ty bp for a great beautiful ocean sure hope that buck u save was worth it
What about the farmers that did a demonstration that hay would absorb the oil and could then be picked up and recycled. They said it would be too easy and cost effective for the government to use.
http 1hr.com/lc/ is the only practical solution now to collect the leaking oil until the well can be killed. I got a standard reply from BP saying the idea is similar to what they are considering, but where is it???
A stupid amount of oil is still leaking, and this will capture it all.
Awesome article! Read it after Alyssa Milano tweet.
nuke it!
Marry up a few of Nikola Tesla's Turbines with these machines and move some serious volume.
And how many gallons of water in the Gulf of Mexico?
Thank you Mr. Costner! I am glad that you care and that you are steeping up to do something about this terrible issue! Thanks again!
Thank you Mr. Costner, you are amazing! I am so glad that someone is finanlly doing something versas just talking about it! I am glad that you were inspired to create such wonderful machine! Every creature in the ocean thanks you for your invention! Now, can you get them to plug the oil hole?
This machine is better than that machine, hay bales are better, wool is better....
How about THIS idea: Get everything available on this problem and work TOGETHER and not in competion! The goal is supposed to be oil remediation not self promotion.
BP could pay out by gallons recovered of methodology.
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