Gulf oil spill, new solution may be available for cleanup!

Of all people, Kevin Costner (the movie star) has 31 devices that can suck up 200 gallons of saltwater per minute, and remove up to 99 percent of the oil, and return the water back into the ocean. He has been working on this machine for over 15 years, and is currently working on a improved version of the machine that could remove even more oil from a oil spill disaster.

All he is asking is to give it a try, and to just cover operation expenses....

Mr. Costner got involved in these machines during the filming of his movie "Water World", he bought the technology for the machines. which was developed by the Department of Energy after the disastrous Exxon Valdez spill. Mr. Costner has invested 24 million dollars into the research, development and manufacturing of these 31 devices. The devices can be lowered underwater where most of the oil contamination is, and clean up the mess, and the recovered oil can be then sent to the refinery for processing.......

BP (British Petroleum) and the U.S. Coast Guard will test 6 of the machine in the coming week.

John Cameron has also offered up the use of his underwater vessels should they prove helpful in cleaning up the environmental disaster, possibly for help locating where to place the devices for maximum removal of oil contaminated water.....

This almost sounds like one of those mega disaster movies that Hollywood seems to produce every couple years..... ~Parnelli

They are also saying that bed mattresses will take in oil and leave the water. I just think this "thing" is bigger than people are trying to make it. Once this "stuff" runs up the Atlantic Coast then they will start thinking more about it. And, I live in the Pacific NW so this doesn't affect me at all I just think this is a tragedy.

Clarification on my posting, the devices that Kevin Costner spent 24 million dollars on, over 15 years, are not for removing the surface crude oil. His devices are submerged beneath the surface for that large mass of crude oil that is suspended beneath the surface. All he is asking, if they work as they were designed to do, is have BP (British Petroleum) to cover the cost of the devices operation, he is not charging anything for the use of the equipment, and will not profit from his offer. Similar to someone loaning you their garden hose if your house was on fire....

In WWII many ships where sunk by the German Submarines, many of them tankers, so as bad as this one spill is, we have had worst oil spills in the past. The United States also sunk many tanker ship, carring crude oil to Japan from South East Asia, to cripple the Japanese Naval Forces.

That's great, I am happy for anyone trying to help but 200 gallons of water per minute is a very small stream. I have had 2 1/2 inch fire hose break behind me flowing over 500 gpm and hit me with the stream of water. It only get you wet but doesn't even knock you down. That's hunting a dragon with a BB gun. God bless and every little bit helps, but it needs thousand of a gallons per minute to make a small impact.

It took a couple of month, but Kevin Costner's Oil Separation Pumps are now being installed on Oil Service Boat (normally used for transportation of crews, equipement and supplies to the ocean oil rigs) to start recovering the spilled oil. These oil separation pumps can work in waves up to 10 feet in height, versus the surface oil skimmers that are only effective in wave heights of 4 feet or less.....

Every contribution the the cleanup is helping to cleanup the mess sooner....than not using it.

The oil well is capped, and the cleanup continues.

BP has decided CEO Hayward should step down over his handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and his departure could be announced in the next 36 hours, sources close to the company said.

BP's board is due to meet in London to discuss a plan for CEO Hayward to step down and be replaced by Bob Dudley, a senior U.S. executive who is currently managing the oil spill response operation, the sources said.

Like many have pointed out in the press, there has been many a large spill by a number of devices over the years. Oil drilling accidents, tankers, even natural seeps. This isn't the "beginning of the end"....nature can recover & will. The main concern is minimalizing the affects on the coastal areas in the mean time.

It will take time to determine the damage to the fishery, the shrimp and oysters. However as Aged Sage predicted, the action of the natural forces, the bacteria, the heat of the sun, and the wave action is resulting in the surface oil disappearing before the eyes of the people there to clean it up. In a few days the amount cleaned dropped from 25,000 barrels to 200 barrels. A professor from LSU explained it as mother natural healing herself. It even seems that a good tropical storm might be benefical.

It seems right now that the major damage was done by the press causing thousands of tourist to not come and visit.