Verde Environmental Consultants & Oil Leak Clean Up Specialists

Whistleblower reveals massive oil leaks from ESB cables

Up to one million litres of oil has been leaked from ESB underground cables over the past 20 years, according to confidential ESB records obtained by RTÉ Investigates. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has begun an investigation into the leaks after being contacted by RTÉ. The information, which came to light after ESB whistleblower Seamus O'Loughlin, who worked for the compa...
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Can your split ends help to clean oil spills?

On March 24, 1989, the world became aware of an environmental calamity in Alaska as an Exxon Valdez oil tanker spewed millions of crude oil into the Alaskan waters. The tragic news grasped the attention of Phil McCrory, a hairdresser in Alabama. McCrory watched heart-wrenching footages of an otter covered in oil on television and did not manage to get the images out of his head. With zero experi...
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What to look out for when buying your new home…is there an oil tank on site?

The National Planning Framework has a National Policy Objective (No 32) to target the delivery of 550,000 additional households by 2040. There will be an increased need for engineers and related professionals, such as remediation experts to provide an excellent service to house buyers as they embark on what for many will be the biggest investment of their lives. Safety A safe place to live is...
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Innovative solution for oil spill clean up – by studying leaf structure

For years, scientists have been inspired by nature to innovate solutions to tricky problems, even oil spills — manmade disasters with devastating environmental and economic consequences. A new USC study takes a cue from leaf structure to fabricate material that can separate oil and water, which could lead to safer and more efficient oil spill clean-up methods. In addition, the material is capable...
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Less than half of Irish households get their home heating serviced every year.

Oil is the most prominent home heating fuel in Ireland, particularly in rural areas, with over 700,000 homes using it as their main heating source. Research from the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) Ireland has revealed that less than half of Irish households get their home heating serviced every year. And around 1 in 10 claim to only get their heating checked when there's an issue. ...
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Ensure the tap on your oil tank is closed

This is a picture of an unfortunate oil spill incident we were called in to remediate which could have been avoided. The oil tank was filled with oil without the homeowner or delivery driver realising that the tap at the tank was open. Unfortunately all the oil leaked out through the open tap and you can see the damage it has caused. Related Blog posts Manage the risk of an oil spill i...
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Oil Tank Corrosion

Spending on home renovations, whilst ignoring their corroded oil tank has proved costly to one home owner. Following from our recent blog on managing the risk of an oil spill incident, Step 1 suggested one of the possible sources of risk of an oil spill was: Damage, corrosion and wear and tear on pipework and metal oil tanks. We were recently called to a newly renovated residence, following an o...
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What to do in case of an home heating Oil Spill

In the event of a home heating oil spill, prompt remedial action by property owners can mitigate environmental and third-party property damage and also help reduce remedial costs. The approach to adopt in dealing with oil spills is site-specific, however, the following highlights essential actions that property owners should take following an oil spill. Do's Identify the source of the oil l...
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Manage the Risk of an Oil Spill Incident

Step 1: Identify the Risk Risks may arise from many sources, such as: Oil delivery tankers. Unsuitable filling points. Overfill of tanks. Absence of bunding for oil storage tanks. Damage, corrosion and wear and tear on pipework and metal oil tanks. Poor fitting connections between the oil feed and the oil burner. Malicious damage by a third party in the act of theft of oi...
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Consequences of Oil Spill incidents

The potential consequences to the environment and to an organisation of an oil spillage are frequently overlooked or insufficiently appreciated. Oil may escape a storage facility either as a single catastrophic spillage or through a prolonged low level of initially undetected seepage, which can often be equally or potentially more damaging. A five-litre spill for example can contaminate one mill...
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