An unlikely way to sop up BP's oil spill: peat moss

Peat moss has been used by gardeners for years to help fortify soil. But Anthony Greaves hopes the moss can be put to another use as well - cleaning up Florida beaches hit by the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"We use it just for spills," said Mr. Greaves, who co-owns Earth Care Products in Edmonton. "We know it works."

Earth Care Products makes something called "Sphag Sorb," which is basically a dehydrated type of peat called sphagnum moss. Some of the largest concentrations of sphagnum moss in Canada are found in marshes and bogs located around Vilna, Alta., about 150 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

The moss acts as a remarkable absorbent, capable of soaking up everything from crude oil to gasoline, anti-freeze and some acids, Mr. Greaves said.

And, once the moss is saturated, the oil doesn't leak out and is broken down by microbes inside the moss. One pound of Sphag Sorb has the ability to soak up about four pounds of oil.

This week, officials from Florida's Department of Environmental Protection held an audition of sorts in Pensacola, Fla., for a dozen companies that specialize in different cleanup technologies.

One presentation was by John Green, who runs Prep Services International in Ottawa and uses Earth Care's Sphag Sorb for cleanups.

In an interview from Pensacola, Mr. Green said he introduced Florida officials to Sphag Sorb because his company has found it effective in all kinds of situations, including road spills caused by traffic accidents as well as leaks at refineries and fuel transfer stations. Once the moss has absorbed the spill, Mr. Green said his workers simply toss it into a landfill, where it breaks down naturally, or send it to an incinerator where it is burned as a fuel additive.

He has urged Florida officials to sprinkle the moss just off shore once an oil flow is spotted. The moss can float for about four hours and when it washes ashore it can be easily picked up and taken away. Florida officials were unavailable for comment Friday but Mr. Green said they are considering the moss.

Mr. Green expects a decision from officials soon, which could be a boon to Earth Care. Mr. Green is there as a volunteer and would not benefit from the decision.

"We've introduced the idea to them," he said. "If they employ it, great. If they don't, that's fine. But our mission is to provide known technology and known techniques."

Earth Care has been around for nearly 20 years and has about 18 employees. Mr. Greaves said its product has been used to help clean up large and small spills around the world (it does more than $1-million in annual sales in the U.S. alone, he said).

Since the disaster began with an explosion on BP PLC's Deepwater Horizon oil rig in April, sending millions of litres of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Greaves has been receiving hundreds of inquiries about Sphag Sorb. "It has been an ongoing flow," he said. "Everybody wants a sample."

But so far, the product hasn't been put to much use in the cleanup effort. "BP contacted us and wanted to know if they can retrieve the oil once our product has absorbed it," Mr. Greaves said. "Unfortunately, they cannot."

Daren Beaudo, a BP spokesman, said the company is considering all types of absorbents, including moss. However, he said it had only been tested so far and not used.

Prep Services is an emergency response company that cleans up hazardous spills and also works on a non-profit basis during disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Green and others from his company have been in the Gulf area for days as volunteers.

Mr. Greaves is also curious to see what happens. He said Earth Care can provide as much Sphag Sorb as needed, even if it means 15 truckloads a day. "We can't stop drilling. We can't stop the use of oil, but what we can do is provide an environmentally friendly way of cleaning up any kind of spills that take place," he said.