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Name: Churchville
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Question:
We have been studying pollution in class, and during the part about oil spills and the effects on the environment we heard that they we testing a microbe that could ingest the oil and during its digestion of the oil get rid of the toxins. Is this still being tested?
Will it ever be used as a way to help routinely clean up after spills?
What is the latest and most promising research on cleaning up the oil spills?


Replies:
OK, before I lost my communication link I found over 100 titles on the subject of oil spills. Below are some examples that may be useful.

There is a journal published by the Department of the Interior called "Oil Spill Prevention and Research," I have a date of 1992. The EPA published a journal in the 1970's called "Oil Spill and Oil Pollution Reports".

There is a 1990 Office of Technology Assessment report called "Coping with an Oiled Sea: An Analysis of Oil Spill Response Technologies." It may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents at the US Government Printing Office (or check with your librarian for an interlibrary loan).

There is a report to Congress by the Inter-agency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research, delivered in 1993 and authorized by Title VII, Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-380), the title of the report is "Oil Pollution Research and Technology Plan." I am not sure where to get a copy but you could call your Congressional Representative to find out. You might also try the National Technical information Service, a clearing house for government reports and research data.

Mortis


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