Examiner
June 10, 2010
Wednesday, Kevin Costner presented his oil spill solution to Congress and demonstrated his machine that 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 $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 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 more of the machines because they have an almost 100% success rate in separating oil from ocean water. The machines, marketed by Ocean Therapy Solutions suck up 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.”
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.”
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. Oil drilling isn’t considered safe in the US, and without the safety requirements for oil drilling that other countries require, residents near the oil drilling are typically distraught.
Special thanks to Richard Charter