As the Deepwater Horizons oil spill continues to grow virtually unabated, officials have turned to an unlikely source for help. Actor Kevin Costner offered the use of his “Oceans Therapy” device to help with the cleanup of the expanding environmental disaster and BP willingly accepted.
In the wake of the Exxon Valdez accident in Alaska, Costner believed there had to be a way to speed the cleanup and recovery. Since then, he has invested $24 million of own money to fund the Oceans Therapy Solutions, the firm that has worked to develop the machine. Costner’s brother is a lead researcher on the project.
Using centrifugal force, the manufacturer claims the machines can remove 97 percent of the oil from the water. A single machine is reportedly capable of cleaning up to 210,000 gallons of water per day and the company is prepared to donate their use to help with the Gulf of Mexico cleanup.
In a demonstration in Louisiana (video at the link blow), the devices appeared to work as claimed, sucking in dirty water and dispensing virtually clear water.