http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/bp-likes-idea-to-clean-up-oil/904600/Jul-08-2010_5-55-pm/BAYOU LA BATRE, Alabama - Hundreds of thousands of people have submitted their ideas to BP on how to clean up the oil.
But there is one man who actually got the company's attention. Captain Gerry Matherne of New Orleans designed the Heavy Oil Recovery Device (HORD).
It's a "special" kind of mesh bag that can collect thick, heavy oil on the surface and up to 18 inches underwater. The bag can also capture the oil sheen and leave clean water behind. Each bag can hold about two tons of oil. BP has received hundreds of thousands of idea for oil clean-up, but Captain Matherne said he had to think outside of the box.
There are many good ideas out there and I would watch them on the evening news like we all would, but as I watched it, as my expertise is in offshore operations, I instantly and automatically thought how are they going to manage this? It might be a good idea but it won't work in the system of managing oil," said Captain Gerry Metherne.
What makes this device different is that once the bags are filled with oil, they can be changed out within a matter of seconds instead of hours or days. BP has already ordered 100 of the heavy oil recovery devices. They cost about $6,000 each. They will be manufactured in Bayou La Batre, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida.
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BP likes the idea? Does the government get any input on these ideas at all?