Oil Removal Solutions Blog

Small Spills = Large Problems: A Look into Fueling Best Practices for the Railroad Industry

Fact – fuel contains toxic substances. Thus, fuel spills can have a decidedly negative impact on the environment. Specifically, with regard to diesel fuel use in the transportation industry, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has strict regulations in place to help prevent the contamination of water and soil during fueling.

Companies that encounter frequent or consistent refueling, like those in the railroad industry, need to take precautionary measures to both minimize and manage spills when they occur. According to the Transportation Environmental Resource Center (TERC), these companies should consider the following three-pronged approach:

Chemical plants that manufacture or otherwise process chemicals (on a large-scale) face unique challenges when it comes to wastewater management. While the equipment, technology and processes used at chemical plants varies, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act requires plants to meet certain performance standards aimed at water pollution prevention and treatment.

Under the Act, the EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as establishing wastewater standards that require wastewater to be virtually free of oil and other contaminants. Chemical plants that don’t meet these standards can face large fines—up to $53,000 per day in some cases—making compliance, essential.

How Did We Do It?

Service

The sales, engineering and operations teams at Oil Skimmers, Inc. all worked together to devise a customized solution that met the customer’s stringent commercial and technical requirements. With Oil Skimmers, Inc., customers are not only guaranteed the very best in oil skimming technology, they are also provided superior customer service. When possible, we meet with our customers and visit their facilities. And, we always make it our mission to help solve their issues, address their challenges and devise solutions that will meet their individual needs.

“Our ability to design, build and ship 23 custom oil skimmers halfway around the word in just 120 days was a record for our company – and vital to the customer,” said President Mike Gaudiani, Oil Skimmers, Inc. “It was a challenge happily accepted and met.” 

Turn captured oil into captured revenue

In the steel manufacturing industry, waterborne oil is a pervasive issue. Mill managers, maintenance managers and process engineers are under pressure to keep facilities up and running, and on budget. However, the nature of steel manufacturing poses its own unique set of challenges for effective oil removal. It’s a high capital, continuous process that’s tough on equipment and uses large amounts of water. Effectively removing oil from water not only helps plants run better overall—it can pay off in many ways. Consider these four top benefits of removing oil from water and coolant fluid during steel manufacturing processes:

Emission control and waste management among top priorities for railroad industry today

On February 28, 1827, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad became the first U.S. railway chartered for commercial transport of passengers and freight. 

Key facts about the first U.S. railway include:

• The Tom Thumb steam engine was designed by Peter Cooper
• The first railroad track was only 13 miles long
• Charles Carroll, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, laid the first stone when construction on the track began 

(Source: Library of Congress)

Fast-forward 188 years. 

Here is a snapshot of what the railroad industry looks like today:

• 140,000 miles of railroad track
• 21 regional and 510 local railroads
• 221,000 jobs
• The rail network accounts for approximately 40 percent of U.S. freight moved by ton-miles (the length freight travels).

(Source: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration)