Elastec Holds Oil Spill Workshop
Over the past decade Elastec has been conducting oil spill workshops to simulate an oil spill recovery. The workshops have been getting larger and gaining more attention worldwide.
Elastec, which is based in Carmi, Illinois has attracted people from all over the world for this hands on training. This was the first year Elastec held two workshops in one year.
On Wednesday company reps and oil spill response teams headed out on the Wabash River in New Harmony.
Brian Cook, Creative Service Manager with Elastec said, “Most people don’t realize that most oil spills happen inland on rivers, the big open water spills is what makes the big news but there are a lot of spills on inland waterways so it’s important to get these types of training days on rivers like this.”
About 50 people took part in the annual inland oil spill workshop called ‘river spill’ – learning expert techniques for cleaning up after an oil accident.
Stations were set up on the Wabash River and groups of 4 would go out on small vessels to reenact what you would do in the event of a spill.
Cook said, “We’ve set up a scenario we’re using air popped pop corn to simulate oil we have a few different stations set up for deflection booming and collection booming and skimming using containment boom, oil skimmers and skimmer vessels.”
These hands on training workshops are gaining world wide attention.
People come from Canada, Cameroon, Curacao and Germany.
Marco Wittstock who is here from Germany said, “It’s great to get hands on, to see all the products while in real life situations, it’s a really good experience for us.”
Marco says he feels the united states is much more advanced than other countries in oil spill recovery.
Wittstock said, “Here in the stations especially, they have very more awareness of oil spills and how to respond professional to oil spills as in Germany I don’t think we’re at the same station I would say.”
