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Harrison County considers "recycling" oil and sand
Posted: Jul 12, 2010 4:49 PM
Updated: Jul 12, 2010 5:19 PM
By Steve Phillips – bio | email
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - Harrison County supervisors are considering a "recycling" proposal that could make the oil clean-up on the beach more efficient. Trouble is, it's a rather expensive alternative.
You might call it an SOS, which in this case means "Save Our Sand." With the current beach clean-up, a lot of excess sand is headed to the local landfill, mixed in with the oil patties.
SOS - RESCUE?
A new and expensive separating device would recycle both sand and oil.
"We have not been real favorable of the process, because they're getting entirely too much sand," Sand Beach Director Bobby Weaver told supervisors on Monday morning.
Harrison County's sand beach director is concerned about tons of excess sand being removed from the beach during the ongoing efforts to scoop up and remove oil patties from the shoreline.
Engineer Bobby Knesal is working with a company that has a patent-pending process that uses a large machine to separate sand and oil.
WE KNOW MOP HAS SUBMITTED A PROVISIONAL PATENT FOR THEIR RESCUE PROCESS
"Most of these companies have these centrifuges that separate things. But this goes another step. It actually re-processes the oil, breaks down the molecules into a state that can actually be pipeline grade refinery. And sent to a refinery to be re-processed," Knesal explained to county supervisors.
Right now, all of the excess sand that's picked up with the oil is placed in dumpsters and eventually disposed of in the local landfill.
The machinery being considered would virtually eliminate this waste disposal step, and recycle those materials instead.
"It would really be a positive financial impact for BP also, because they wouldn't have to use as many workers to pick up the oil," said Supervisor William Martin.
Knesal proposes staging eight machines along the 26 miles of beach. The separators could replace hundreds of workers, since heavy equipment would be used to get the sand to the processors. And it doesn't come cheap.
"You're looking at a range of four and a half to five million dollars a month for the machines," said Knesal, "But the labor you see out there is costing about twelve to fourteen million dollars per month."
Bobby Weaver watched a demonstration of the "recycling machines" over the weekend in Alabama. The machines are still being tested and there's no word yet on whether BP would pay for the equipment.
WHITE PAPERS SUGGEST A RETRO FIT OF EXISTING EQUIPMENT OR EQUIPMENT DESIGNED BY MOP
Bobby Knesal, P.E. - Senior Consulting Engineer
Mr. Knesal brings more than twenty-nine years of experience to the company and is a registered Professional Engineer. Mr. Knesal previously administered the City of Gulfport Public Works contract on a daily basis overseeing operations in the Streets & Drainage, Water & Sewer, and Utility Billing Departments. In addition, he supported other Public Works Projects for his former firm and supported the firm’s other projects for engineering related issues.
Mr. Knesal has almost three decades of experience working with both municipal and County governments. This included serving as the County Engineer in Harrison County and the Harrison County representative for the Harrison County Wastewater and Solid Waste Management District (HCWSWMD) at times between 1992 and 2002.
Education
Mississippi State University
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering. 1977
Professional Affiliations
Registered as a Professional Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor in Mississippi since 1981
Professional Experience
2002–2006 Operations Technologies, Inc.
Contract Administrator for three contracts with the City of Gulfport, including the Public Works divisions of Water & Sewer and Streets & Drainage; and, the Water Meter Reading and Utility Billing Department.
1992–2002 Harrison County Engineer
1991-1992 Johnson Controls World Services/NASA
Design review engineer for the ASRM Test Stand construction project.
1985–1991 H. Gordon Myrick, Inc.
Project design engineer for several commercial construction projects including the site, drainage, foundation and structural design components of the projects. Performed project management duties for various commercial construction projects ranging up to $5 million.
1982–1985 Brown Engineers, Inc.
Staff engineer and later promoted to vice-president of the company
1980–1982 Gulf South Engineers, Inc.
Staff engineer
1977–1980 Garner Russell & Associates
Staff engineer
