Motor oil cleanup?

[smeacham]

Any suggestions on how to clean up a mess made by squatters (vandals, really)? They dumped copious amounts of what looks like motor oilj, covering much of approximately 10’x20’ of ground that could otherwise be planted or at least be allowed to heal and grow. Of course, it’s soaked into the ground over months and killed everything but a few weeds. It makes me sick to see the land like that, and I’d like to heal it rather than cover it up with cinders.

Steve

[EightFingers]

Look up bioremediation of oil spills.

Puna: Our roosters crow first

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Chemical spills on porous ground generally involve scrapping or digging up as much of the material as possible and trucking for safe disposal. Not sure if there is a site for that on Big Island. Otherwise, unfortunately, the next 30 inch or 50 inch rain storm will turn the oil into runoff and wash it downhill into the water table.

Thanks squatters.

[kalakoa]

covering much of approximately 10'x20'

Just build a carport there.

[terracore]

Why would homeless people be dumping motor oil onto the ground? I could see if there was an illegal chop shop there or something how that could happen, but unless there was standing water and they were trying to kill mosquitoes I don't see a motivation. There are companies who test soil for contaminants including petroleum geared towards urban farmers, you might want to send a sample off to be tested. Maybe they were using the area as a toilet?

[hilodiver]

I agree with EightFingers. There are products out there that help speed up biodegradation when cleaning up the oil spill isn't practical. Removing the contaminates is always best but sometimes not possible.

Aloha!

[tada]

I thought they pave the roads with bunker fuel the same stuff they burn for electricity?? So does that mean when it rains real hard so it disaggregates the aggregate doesn't that contaminate the water table??