Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Why Portable Spill Containment Berms Should Be Seen As Essential Equipment

By Etta Bowen


Humans have relentlessly abused the environment for ages and the planet has reached a stage where it is struggling to survive. Pollution is one of the main culprits. Dangerous chemicals and other substances cause widespread damage when it is spilled. Unfortunately, this happens frequently because vast quantities of potentially dangerous substances are used and transported every day. Without equipment such as portable spill containment berms it is almost impossible to restrict the damage to a small area.

These barriers are available in many shapes and sizes. They are made from lightweight materials and they can be deployed quickly. They are easy to store and they take up very little space. They are often used in a preventive role. For example, when barrels of chemicals are transported they are often placed on top of a berm. In this way spillages are caught before they can contaminate the truck or the immediate area.

This equipment can also be used to prevent spillages when chemicals are handled or stored. Large tankers containing harmful substances are often park on top of a berm. The same is done when chemicals are transferred from one container to another. Such precautions are sensible and environmentalists say that the use of this equipment in this manner should be made mandatory.

When used to prevent the spread of pollution, especially in water, the use of this equipment is only the first step in a costly and difficult process. The pollutants need to be neutralized, removed from the contaminated site and taken to a facility that is equipped to properly dispose of the pollutants. This requires highly trained personnel and specialized equipment. Unfortunately, many companies dealing with these chemicals do not always have such equipment available.

Huge efforts are put into finding cheaper and more effective ways in which to deal with pollution. Modern science has already come up with several agents that show much promise. These agents either absorb pollutants or they cause them to degrade much faster. The downside is that these agents are not yet widely available and that they are still very costly. Another drawback is the fact that not all pollutants can be absorbed in this manner.

The new star in the fight against pollution is a new agent that converts the harmful substance into a useful and harmless one. The resultant material is safe to handle and it can be used in the manufacture of road surface products. In this way cleaning operations can eventually be at least partially funded by selling the former pollutants to entrepreneurs that can use them productively.

Great pressure is exerted by environmentalists to force governments to pass stricter laws to deal with pollution. They want private enterprises and government agencies who deal with chemicals and other harmful substances to take responsibility for negligent actions and they want to see very stiff fines. They also want industries that handle potentially harmful substances to actively plan for emergencies and to stock the equipment that would be necessary to contain spillages.

Everything possible should be done to prevent further damage to the environment. Special barriers that can contain harmful chemicals should most certainly be standard equipment whenever such chemicals are used, transported or manufactured. If positive steps to prevent pollution are not taken humankind may just find itself with an uninhabitable planet.




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