The Importance Of Containment Berms In Dealing With Spills

By Lana Bray


Many people have no idea just how much toxins, chemicals and other harmful liquids are handled every day and how real the danger is for serious contamination. These substances are transported by ship, truck and train, often through densely populated or environmentally sensitive areas. In the past, spills have cost millions to clean up and have caused enormous damage to the environment. Human beings are adversely affected, too. People working with these substances should, at the very least, have containment berms to deal with spills.

The nature of potential spills dictates a variable approach to deal with damage control. In most instances more than one technique has to be employed. However, the very first priority in the management of spills is always to do whatever is possible to prevent the substances from spreading and that is why this equipment is so important. They can contain the damage and allow the experts to deal with the matter.

Berms are excellent in preventing the spread of harmful chemicals, especially when the spill is in water. On land seepage into the soils is a huge problem. This is not enough, however. The substance needs to be neutralized and removed. This is often done by using ingenious natural biological agents that react with the chemicals to speed up the biodegrading process.

Solidifying materials are also extremely popular for cleaning up spills on water surfaces. These materials have an amazing ability to simply absorb various chemicals and render them harmless. What remains is simply a mass of harmless material that can be handled safely. The best is that the remains can often be used in making bitumen and rubber products thus at least turning the catastrophe into some good.

There is many other effective cleaning up methods but they all depend upon the spill being localized by means of physical barriers. Some operators use giant vacuum machines to simply suck the contaminant and the water into very large containers for transport and disposal elsewhere. There are even some specialized devices that are able to separate the water from the pollutants.

It is a sad fact that most countries, as a matter of policy, neglect to act in some cases. On rough coasts where the wave activity if vigorous, spills are left alone. High priority is set on contamination in urban areas, in wildlife reserves and in cases where the spill poses a real threat to human health.

It is a great pity that while solutions to spills are readily available, the manpower, training and funds are simply not being made available. There is often uncertainty as to who should be taking responsibility and, more importantly, who should be held responsible for the cost. Experts agree that these matters must be decided upon and that appropriate legislation should be introduced.

So, while containment berms are extremely efficient in helping to contain spills as soon as they occur they are most certainly not the one and final solution to the problem. People that transport and handle harmful chemicals need to be trained and they have to be able to act quickly during emergencies. The environment deserves a better effort.




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