How Product Could 'Eat the Oil' Polluting Gulf Coast
The emotion is palpable in a conversation with Ed Corpora, CEO of American Products Enterprise Corporation.
He's devastated by the magnitude of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and beyond frustrated that BP has shown no interest in his product, known as HTP. It's a microbial product derived from peat moss, 100% organic, non-toxic and non-abrasive. "The microbes," he says, "literally eat the oil."
Shortly after it became clear that the spill was an enormous disaster, Corpora drove from his home in Atlanta to New Orleans, where he knocked on BP's door but couldn't get an audience. Back home, he submitted his idea online, complete with attachments, but all he received was a "Dear John" letter.
Corpora has been in business for 19 years. HTP is used for oil clean up at refineries and in mining operations. It can be packaged in different size bags or in bulk and it's safe for animals and the environment.
HTP is often used for treating contaminated soil. In fact, Corpora says BP once used it for soil remediation on an oil spill in Trinidad.
HTP encapsulates the oil, and it works on hard surfaces, on water, in marshes and in swampy conditions. It also works when it rains, keeping the oil encapsulated rather than spreading around.
During a live demonstration on CNBC, Corpora used a feather duster to show that wildlife like ducks can swim or dive right throught the oil-laden HTP and get no oil on them. (Watch video of his product demonstration here).
Corpora is hoping to become a contractor so he can make HTP booms; he would also like to use it on coastal beaches to clean up the oil. "I see those guys in disposable white outfits using shovels and rakes, picking up liquid oil. But they could be using HTP and picking up a dry substance. Easy to handle. You could even vacuum it up," Corposa says.
A pound of HTP would pick up about a gallon of oil. In bulk, it would cost between 70-cents and $1.00 a pound.
Corpora knows his product won't solve the whole problem. But he's exasperated by BP's lack of interest. "Why wouldn't they make an effort to talk with people who propose solutions?," he says.
Friday on "Power Lunch" at 1pm ET, a Florida contractor will demonstrate how hay can be used to soak up the leaking gulf oil. He's tested it on seawater and claims it works.