Congressional Testimony of Charles Diamond - posted
The Case for “MOP! Maximum Oil Pickup” in the Gulf
Congressional Testimony of Charles M. Diamond
CEO of MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc., Bath, NH
Presented to U.S. Senator of Louisiana, Mary L. Landrieu,
Chair, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
United States Senate
Relating to the hearing on:
Harnessing Small Business Innovation:
Navigating the Evaluation Process for Gulf Coast Oil Cleanup Proposals
Madam Chair, members of the committee: My name is Charles M. Diamond. I am CEO of MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. in Bath NH. The testimony I am about to present could be the most important you will hear regarding the ultimate control of the present Gulf Oil Spill. I believe my testimony contains the answers that will truly work to both contain the spill at its source, retrieve virtually all the oil that remains in open waters, retrieve the difficult to remove oil from the marshlands and wetlands, protect the estuaries, protect the shorelines from any oil coming in, remove any oil from oil contaminated soil, and safely remove oil from oil coated birds and animals.
All this is accomplished by using a low cost product and technique that recovers the oil for reuse so efficiently that the value of the oil can even exceed the cost of retrieval. MOP is comprised of
environmentally friendly, all natural vegetable fibers treated to reject water and aggressively capture oil. The patented product that makes all this possible is “MOP! Maximum Oil Pickup.” Its efficiency, effectiveness, low cost, and the high speed of its deployment and retrieval make MOP the ideal candidate to protect the nation from present and future oil spills both on water and on land.
Had our MOP absorbent and method of deployment been used within the first 48 hours, as I
will detail for you today, we would not be sitting here discussing a spill that would have
otherwise been contained from the beginning.
Let me illustrate: MOP captures and recovers up to 100,000 barrels (i.e. much higher than the
estimated Gulf discharge rate) of spilled oil a day using a capital expense of merely $100,000 for
deployment equipment, with under $3,000,000 in product. Add to this approximately $50,000 a day for cost of retrieval of oil valued at $5,000,000 based on $50 per barrel (currently in the range of $70/bbl) for an overall profit of up to $2,000,000, or more a day, and the value of this approach becomes distinctly apparent. The value of oil retrieved could readily exceed the costs of recovery and retrieval, leaving a possible overall net profit, or break-even, instead of the billions of dollars that have already been spent and untold extensive damage that could have been prevented.
Furthermore, dealing only with the new oil coming from the wellhead on a daily basis would be
easily manageable, and the cost for containing it would have been in the millions, not the billions. Under most any circumstance, the oil would be entirely contained within a radius of 30 miles from the discharge point.
We manufacture what we believe to be the best oil spill cleanup product available: The product
is built around an oil absorbent that I invented over a decade ago. It is the only cradle-to-cradle
green oil spill clean up product on the market. The entire process, from creation to reuse, is
completely sustainable. We manufacture MOP using all natural, environmentally safe recycled
materials with electricity generated from hydroelectric power. Most notably, this unique product
allows for the valuable recovery of up to 95% of the oil from the MOP sorbent for reuse.
The life cycle of MOP is one of its most extraordinary features and deserves particular
attention: MOP has many environmentally beneficial disposal options such as recycling in a land
farm, or pelletizing as a fuel. However, I believe the ultimate use is to process the used, oil saturated MOP through the carbon negative low temperature pyrolysis system (extensively advocated by Interior Secretary Ken Salizar in the amendment he introduced in his former capacity as the U.S. Senator of Colorado for the U.S. Agricultural Bill of 2007 and 2008). Ken Salizar is fully aware of the benefits of Carbon Negative Bio-Char technology to extract the carbon from virtually any hydrocarbon, leaving a carbon free non-polluting, hydrogen-based fuel, with the extracted carbon serving as a soil amendment that boosts agricultural yields from 200% to 400% higher than comparable tilled and fertilized soil.
This carbon-based soil amendment, (commonly referred to as Bio-Char), is the ideal host to
encourage proliferation of the indigenous anaerobic microbes that live in soil. The proliferation of anaerobic microbes changes the character of the soil in a manner that boosts agricultural yields from 200% to 400%. Anaerobic microbes breathe in carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen, helping to reverse global warming, while adding their inspired carbon to the soil. This soil improvement process is likely the only known natural process of its class that once started continues of its own accord, to further help reverse global warming, while boosting agricultural yields (equivalent to making more land). This disposal option, when applied to the retrieved, oil saturated MOP, indeed offers a great benefit.
However, when further extended to the full range of other hydrocarbons, representing up to 95% of the waste stream now headed to landfills, offers an abundant, hydrogen based, non-polluting,
extremely low cost, alternative energy source. So, the MOP recovery system offers not only an
answer to the Gulf Oil Spill, but also advocates a valuable alternative pathway to reducing our
dependency on fossil fuels that has tied us to foreign imports and the depletion of our natural
resources.
We are exceedingly proud of the environmental commitment of our Company and the sustainable line of products that we manufacture. Not only because MOP is the environmentally responsible alternative for cleaning up oil, but also because MOP is very low in cost, is deployed and retrieved very quickly and easily, and provides for recovery of the value of the oil it retrieves. I contend that the use of MOP Bulk Sorbent as the FIRST RESPONSE to an oil spill is the best option you have to neutralize all the potential harmful effects, both environmental and economic, of an oil spill such as you now have in the Gulf.
I wish to further cite the following evaluations of our MOP absorbent product, beginning with the evaluation by BP Safety Specialist Randall Fletcher, written in 1994, (copy attached).
“During four separate occasions we have had the opportunity to observe the MOP absorbent
product’s performance. Three were hard surface spills of various hydrocarbon products (i.e. 30w
oil, transmission fluid, heavy naphtha, diesel oil, and other blended heavy sop oils). On each
occasion the absorbents picked up all of the products leaving no apparent residue. We mixed
water at some sites and the hydrophobic properties allowed the absorbent to hold the products
while allowing the water to run free and clean of oil.”
Randall ended his letter by saying the following: “We are extremely pleased with its (Maximum Oil Pickup’s) performance and cost, and would recommend serious consideration of this product before using an alternative.”
It is notable that in the, “Use Of Sorbents for Spill Response,” Published in 2009 and Commissioned by the Maritime Affairs Directorate, and the French Navy, it was determined that bulk sorbents (such as MOP) are the choice for Weathered Emulsified Crude Oil which is the specific application in the Gulf. The study stated, ...”These products (bulk sorbents) can be used in a wide variety of situations, on land and on water. Their divided form gives them a large surface area which will come into contact with the pollutant, promoting their impregnation even if the pollutant forms a thin layer or scattered slicks, which may be difficult to access.”
Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - National Service Center for
Environmental Publications (NSCEP) recommends a priority for test of absorbents with a priority first from available and low-cost natural absorbents. Also stating “The natural sorbents are generally more readily available than the synthetics,” (page 6 section 3) It is mentioned on page 25 Section 6,
“One common factor among the sorbent types is that organic sorbents tend to have a greater sorption and retention capacity for organic rather than inorganic liquids.” Sorbent Materials For Cleanup Of Hazardous Spills - nepis.epa.gov… (MOP Maximum Oil Pickup is the quintessential material that falls into this category).
Many communities in the Gulf region are looking to be proactive in combating the oil coming upon their shores. The community of Gulf Breeze, Florida is one community that has decided to take a proactive approach. Gulf Breeze, located in Florida’s panhandle, has purchased from MOP
Environmental Solutions, Inc. “MOP 201 bulk loose sorbent.” MOP 201 bulk sorbent is more than ten times as effective as booms for absorbing oil. Gulf Breeze has purchased MOP 201 to distribute to waterfront landowners to assist them in confronting the spill directly should it threaten their property. They have decided not to stand by and wait for assistance. We believe their independent choice of MOP Maximum Oil Pickup is clearly the best oil sorbent product to get the job done.
In 2008 The Society of Petroleum Engineers, arguably the most respected professional publication in the Petroleum industry covered MOP Environmental Solutions’ Maximum Oil Pickup (MOP) in its official publication, the Journal of Petroleum Technology. Ted Moon, who delivered the story, is the Technology Editor of the Journal of Petroleum Technology. He presents information of emerging technologies, R&D successes, new field applications, updates from the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ papers about recent innovations, and more to the Journal of Petroleum Technology. The article can be read at its entirety at - www.spe.org/jpt/2008/01/new-technologyoffers - profitable-holistic-approach-to-oil-spill-cleanup/
To summarize; MOP Bulk Sorbent is a 100 percent natural product that is as safe to the environment as a leaf falling into water. MOP is unlike other bulk sorbents such as plastics that should not be used in open waters. The extreme advantages of patented MOP Maximum Oil Pickup over virtually every other sorbent demand its recognition for its exceedingly important role and for its advantages over virtually every other sorbent that is currently being used in the Gulf oil spill. Madam Chair, let me say that THERE IS STILL TIME to realize the important benefits of MOP Maximum Oil Pickup for the Gulf oil spill.
I have included with my testimony a document called “MOP as a FIRST RESPONSE - The Case
for MOP in the Gulf.” This document expounds in detail the important role MOP can play in the
Gulf Oil Spill.
I am available to answer any, and all questions you may have. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Charles Diamond
President & CEO
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
AI
