Technology for managing spills on land and water

EPA's office of research and monitoring has initiated intensive R&D programs in hazardous material spill control technology. The feasibility of foam-in-place plugs to stop the flow from leaking containers; foam-in-place dams to prevent the flow of a spilled material from reaching a watercourse; a mobile, physical-chemical treatment unit to treat hazardous material spills confined in a watercourse; and floatable, activated carbon or ion exchange resins to treat spills in a flowing stream have been tested and demonstrated as feasible spill managing techniques. These and other new spill control methods are described.