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MyspaceIt’s like a disaster movie, featuring the greedy executives who let it happen, panicking politicians, and a champion. In the movie version of Deepwater Horizon, the champion might be played by, say, Kevin Costner, a veteran of the everyman hero role.
However, it seems as though the barrier between the cinematic and real has been breached. The real Kevin Costner has stepped off the silver screen to become an unlikely hero of the Deepwater Horizon crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.
Celebrity philanthropy is certainly nothing new, but Costner’s efforts go beyond bringing publicity and funds to the cause. In his role as the owner of Ocean Therapy Solutions (OTS), based in downtown Santa Barbara, Costner and his business partners Patrick N. Smith and John Houghtaling II, with help from UCLA engineering professor and researcher Eric M.V. Hoek, have provided cutting edge oil-treatment technology for the cleanup efforts. They developed a centrifuge capable of separating oil from water with what they claim is unprecedented efficiency, and it is quickly becoming one of the main tools in the Gulf cleanup effort. According to Smith, British Petroleum bought 32 of the machines in June, and the federal government is providing assistance to Gulf Coast communities that will enable them to buy their own centrifuges.
Courtesy Photo
“This is not a Hollywood ending for me,” Costner recently told the U.S. Senate. “The path to arrive at this moment was steep and formidable. That is why I’ve been called at this moment to testify before this committee to explain why 21st-century technology has sat idly on the shelf for 10 years, when it could have been deployed as a first, most efficient responder to mitigate the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.”
Although OTS was only conceived immediately following the oil spill, Costner’s involvement with developing this technology has spanned nearly two decades. According to Smith, Costner’s inspiration for developing oil-cleanup technology harkened back to his experience growing up in Ventura County and realizing how defenseless the coast was against oil rig spills.
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In 1993, he purchased a patent from the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory for a centrifuge to separate oil and water, and formed Costner Industries. He hired researchers, sunk $20 million of his own money into the company, and for 15 years strived to garner interest from oil companies. However, according to Smith, not only were the oil companies disinterested in the cleanup technology, but government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coast Guard often blocked the technology from being tested because of concerns over water purity. The problem, Smith said, was that these agencies required the water being put back in after the centrifuge process to have the oil content of no more than 15 parts per million, a virtually untraceable level.
Courtesy Photo
(left to right) John Houghtaling, Kevin Costner, John McCain, Andrew Quintero, Patrick Smith.
However, as Hoek continued research on the machine, he improved the water purity to 99.9 percent. This, as Smith put it, “fortuitous” development occurred only a week before the spill. “Kevin had never given up,” Smith said, “and with my help, we were methodically going through the process of how to solve the EPA and the Coast Guard’s problem about being as pure as we could, so the whole thing was a coincidence of things just coming together.” Talk about a Hollywood ending!
Smith said OTS has developed several applications for the centrifuge, allowing for cleanup not just in deep ocean, but also in waters as shallow as three feet. In addition, they are currently in the midst of getting approval for a “plume hunter.” The machine would make use of Norwegian technology that Smith compared to an “ultrasound” capable of seeking out the toxic plumes.
Although the spill was capped by BP as of July 15, there is still a tremendous amount of damage control to be done, both environmentally and economically. Protecting and preserving the environment is OTS’ primary focus, though Smith said the company also regards the continuation of offshore drilling as a necessity. “There’s going to be drilling offshore,” Smith said. “There’s too many assets, and we’re not against drilling. We’re not against oil exploration, because we need it for independence. We need to keep doing what we’re doing. “
However, Smith also said changes are needed in offshore drilling policies. First of all, he said, offshore rigs must meet certain, more stringent criteria before being allowed to operate. Also, both the government and oil industry should create thoroughly transparent processes for dealing with potential crises like the Deepwater Horizon spill. “I think there’s going to be a new age of responsibility,” Smith said, “and if you meet that criteria you should be able to work.”
At three months old, OTS is now at the forefront of the industry for environmental technology, and its success is growing. “It’s going up and up. They are taking notice,” Smith said. “We’re getting requests from around the globe. It’s really interesting that people are becoming more aware that this is a true first line of defense, and that’s where it should be.”
“For me, advancing the technology for oil spill cleanup was a dream, not a business. It wasn’t about improving my margins,” Costner said in his statement to the Senate. “It was about doing something more.”
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Comments
What the story is missing, Costner's skimmers were ready to be deployed but were held back by the Obama administration.
It is almost as if Obama would use this CRISIS to foster huge energy taxes on Americans through Cap & Tax. Or it could just be sheer incompetence.
jukin (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2010 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Costners skimmers were not ready to deploy - they have never ever used in a clean up before, or on anything like this.
How about we give the Govt a few weeks to actually test his claims before blindly throwing millions of dollars at it?
Oh wait they did, and now look, they are using them. The "system" acting in a responsible manner - amazing.
But the fact an Obama hater can still find something in there to blame on Obama is even more amazing. I tip my hat to you sir.
bronc (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2010 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
PS. Also a big hats off to Costner for doing this. He's not getting rich, and he's been pimping this technology for a while. It's sad something like this had to happen before the Govt would look at his stuff.
bronc (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2010 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"OTS was only conceived immediately following the oil spill" ."Sadly, our company was born out of tragedy". These comments about the company clearly state that it was only formed after the oil spill.
"Having already been proven a successful tool for oil recovery on smaller scale oil clean-up operations ... The time to talk became the time to act".
All of these statement from Costner's company mean that prior to the oil spill there were no production skimmers that used their technology available for purchase. They had to form a company to implement the concept on a larger scale, and then fulfill a 32 unit order from BP. I believe each unit takes about 10 days to manufacture.
So once again, jukin, your statement "Costner's skimmers were ready to be deployed" is a lie. But what is more pathetic is that if you had read the article and the OTS website you would have understood that your statement is a lie. So you are deficient not only in truth telling but also in comprehension abilities.
tabatha (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2010 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm with Jukin but you knew that. So, I guess the rest of you know more than Bobby Jindahl, James Carville, and the other governors and parish presidents down there... who sure as HECK wanted the Obama administration to lead, follow, or get out of the way. What did Obama, Inc. do? They cooked up a BAN on oil drilling -- further incapaciting the Gulf's economy and sending $$ to other countries. Way to go!!! (oooh, and don't forget about that big oil deal down in Brazil that Soros is in on... we'll need their oil for sure now. Payback for campaign $$ anyone??) Now we get to support terrorism (via Middle East oil) and Soros (via Petrobas) as we "transiition" to a greener economy. Can we get these idiots OUT of power fast enough???
Before you bash me, get your facts straight, you sheep!
maximum (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 1:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
truth_machine (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 1:09 a.m.
maximum (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 1:25 a.m.
"... BAN on oil drilling .... big oil deal down in Brazil ... Soros ... Payback.... terrorism ... Petrobas"
-- maximum
Wow! All that from an article about oil spill technology. I think you lost your tin foil hat ... check under the sofa cushions.
SezMe (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 3:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cooked up a BAN? When you have the worst environmental disaster in Us history a 6 month MORATORIUM on new drilling seems pretty intelligent.
When the space shuttle blew up did they keep launching????!!! No, they investigated what went wrong so they could FIX the problem and prevent it from happening again.
When 9/11 occurred did they keep flying planes? No, they stopped all civilian air traffic until they were sure it was safe to travel again.
What a airhead blowhard maximum is. Go write your notes on your hand cause you are Palin dumb.
Tret (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 5:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Can anyone win this arguement? This
liberal vs conservative stalemate will
never get us anywhere. There's got to
be a better way. This extremeism
frightens me for the future of our country.
LillyBand (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is not an argument of liberal vs conservative but between facts vs propaganda. As long as those on the right try to color discourse with their skewed version of the facts then the friction will continue.
Tret (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 7:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems to me there's skewedness on both
sides.
LillyBand (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Tret-a-tet says: "When 9/11 occurred did they keep flying planes? No, they stopped all civilian air traffic until they were sure it was safe to travel again."
FOR A DAY... not six months... Which is enough to kill an industry to push a political AGENDA... (Soros & Petrobas GOOGLE IT folks.) Cap & Trade (aka Cap & Tax) learn more about it folks.
Big Guv is not your friend...
maximum (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maximum,
Do you remember Hurricane Katrina?
Kingprawn (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 4:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maximum ignores the facts again!! Maximum loves to exaggerate the truth, saying things like: "Which is enough to kill an industry."
There are thousands of wells in the Gulf. The moratorium affects only 33 well that are currently being drilled. Maximum, how do you "kill an industry" by shutting down only 33 exploratory wells? Supposedly you want facts so please argue that one.
I think if someone is going to drill they should have an adequate clean-up plan AND EQUIPMENT READY TO GO in case of an accident. When the oil companies have their fire departments fully equipped and manned, then they can start drilling again.
Most reasonable people would agree with this.
And by the way, shutting down the AIR TRAFFIC FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY for two days has way more economic impact than a moratorium that affects 3 dozen wells.
Tret (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 7:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A moratorium that affects 3 wells??? (is this a serious question?) I realize we don't get news in Santa Barbara but there's the internet, folks... God help this country. Here try this:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwor...
maximum (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 11:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kudos to Costner. Its nice to see someone in his position investing in things that can help others and the world around us rather than just another gigantic mansion or Rolls Royce (are they still in fashion?).
EastBeach (anonymous profile)
July 21, 2010 at 11:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maximum exaggerates again! First I said three DOZEN not three. You might want to brush up on your reading skills.
Second, nowhere does your cited article refute the fact.
Please read the following link for the truth. Less than 30 or so wells affected by the moratorium. Temporarily shutting down 30 is not a big deal. Max if you reply, please stay on topic with relevant facts or I may have to ignore your response.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spi...
Tret (anonymous profile)
July 22, 2010 at 5:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
maximum and Tret should meet at dawn and have a duel with pistols.
lindacassirer (anonymous profile)
July 23, 2010 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dueling with words is more civilized.
tabatha (anonymous profile)
July 23, 2010 at 8:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe so, but at least there'd be an end in sight.
lindacassirer (anonymous profile)
July 23, 2010 at 10:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh, you are new to this, aren't you lindacassirer?!
The maximum v. Tret imbroglio is NOTHING! A mere tiff, a throat-clearing far from the noise and nastiness of the wooly flame wars in online side-staking and crabby contumely.
Just for an example, check the action here, involving the immovable object of "sevendolphins" vs. the unstoppable force of "Pinatabo"
http://www.independent.com/news/2010/...
binky (anonymous profile)
July 23, 2010 at 10:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ust for an example, check the action here, involving the immovable object of "sevendolphins" vs. the unstoppable force of "Pinatabo"
Where do I fit in with all this, Binky?
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
July 24, 2010 at 2:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Where do I fit in with all this, Binky?"
One less.
binky (anonymous profile)
July 24, 2010 at 8:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
One less you say. Know ye not that sometimes more is less. (And moreover, less is more)
Know ye also that a towel gets wetter as it dries?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XffXg...
KehlogAlbran (anonymous profile)
July 25, 2010 at 5:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'll leave it to all you know it alls. I'm out a here.
lindacassirer (anonymous profile)
July 25, 2010 at 8:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Totally astonishing. These comments.
Most all anonymous. Bad grammar; rampant misspellings. Pathetic lack of information. Facts garbled. Petty squabbles.
These don't belong in a newspaper. Good thing they aren't.
I am amazed the Independent publishes anonymous comments. People venting their spleen. Yuck.
For the record; I am proud of Kevin Costner; and grateful for his boats. Bravo! He has made a true contribution.
I worked on the Santa Barbara oil spill as a student at USC. We all left campus. I was here for 2 weeks cleaning birds and mammals. I will never forget it.
Bravo Kevin. He remembers; and has put his money where his mouth is. Unlike the ridiculous negative commenters on this article.
Thanks to you positive ones!
Yikes! last time I am looking at comments!
penelopebianchi (anonymous profile)
July 25, 2010 at 10:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)